DxS signs exclusive distribution deal with Roche

Manchester, UK-based diagnostics firm DxS has signed an exclusive distribution agreement for its TheraScreen K-RAS Mutation Test and TheraScreen EGFR 29 Mutation Test with Swiss drug major Roche.

The tests are intended, when considered with other clinically relevant factors, to aid doctors in identifying suitable patients likely to benefit from a specific cancer therapy based on their mutation status.

"There is a growing demand for tests to indicate disease prognosis and identify patient groups more likely to benefit from a particular drug," said Daniel O'Day, chief executive of Roche Molecular Diagnostics. Under the terms of the agreement, the Swiss firm is granted exclusive worldwide distribution rights for the K-RAS Test, which has CE Mark certification in Europe. For the EGFR test, which is also CE Mark approved, Roche is granted exclusive distribution rights for all global markets except the USA, Canada, Mexico, and Hong Kong. Further terms were not disclosed.