CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--IntegraGen, a leading player in the development and marketing of molecular diagnostic testing in oncology and autism, today announced that it presented data during the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s 2014 Annual Meeting which demonstrates that the oncology biomarker miR-31-3p is predictive of cetuximab effects in wild-type (WT) KRAS metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients. The data presented was based on a post-hoc analysis of patients enrolled in the New EPOC phase III trial who were randomized to receive chemotherapy alone or chemotherapy plus cetuximab before and after resection of colorectal liver metastasis.
The results of the study presented during the ASCO meeting showed the outcome of WT KRAS mCRC patients treated with chemotherapy plus cetuximab differed according to the expression level of miR-31-3p. Among patients with high expression of miR-31-3p, those treated with the combination of chemotherapy plus cetuximab had a shorter progression free survival compared to patients treated with chemotherapy alone. However, when only patients with a low expression level of miR-31-3p were considered, the progression free survival was no worse with the addition of cetuximab. In addition, the study identified a correlation between miR-31-3p expression in primary tumors and metastases in patients receiving chemotherapy alone, but not in the chemotherapy plus cetuximab arm, suggesting that miR-31-3p is involved in the EGFR pathway.
“This research underscores the importance of identifying additional biomarkers which predict patient response to EGFR inhibitors used to treat patients with metastatic colorectal cancer,” stated study co-author Dr. John Primrose, Professor of Surgery at the University of Southampton and Chief Investigator for the New EPOC Study. “The present results, based on expression levels of miR-31-3p, provide us with an important clue in establishing the mechanism by which the use of cetuximab in the New EPOC study resulted in some patients having an inferior progression free survival.”
“These results build on our previously published research with miR-31-3p and demonstrate the ability of this single microRNA biomarker to predict the impact of anti-EGFR therapy in metastatic colorectal cancer patients,” said Bernard Courtieu, IntegraGen’s CEO. “Results of this study together with the previously published data on miR-31-3p suggest that testing for expression levels of this microRNA in metastatic colorectal cancer patients would permit oncologists to provide a more personalized approach to cancer care and allow to better select patients who would benefit from anti-EGFR therapy while avoiding ineffective and costly drug therapy, its associated toxicities, and the earlier utilization of alternative treatment options which may be more effective. IntegraGen is currently exploring options for offering a commercial test based on the miR-31-3p biomarker to clinicians.”
IntegraGen obtained the exclusive license for the worldwide rights for the miR-31-3p biomarker from the Paris Descartes University, INSERM, the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, and the Assistance Publique - Hopitaux de Paris, all leading French academic institutions which, along with IntegraGen, are co-owners of the patent. The New EPOC Study is funded by Cancer Research UK (clinical trial number CRUK/06/031).
ABOUT INTEGRAGEN
Founded in 2000, IntegraGen (ALINT.PA) is a biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of molecular diagnostic tests in the fields of autism and oncology. IntegraGen’s mission is to translate molecular research into clinical practice through the identification of novel genetic biomarkers and the subsequent development of molecular diagnostic tests which allow clinicians to better manage the clinical care of their patients. IntegraGen is also a leader in delivering expert genomic service solutions to academic researchers and life sciences companies as a result of its scientific knowledge and technological expertise related to cutting edge genomic platforms and bioinformatics.
For more information on IntegraGen, visit www.integragen.com.
