Dako Enters New Collaboration on Targeted Therapies

[RandyW]

Dako Enters New Collaboration on Targeted Therapies for Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Market Wire - Aug. 20, 2007

GLOSTRUP, DENMARK, August 20 / MARKET WIRE/ -- Dako enters into collaboration with Genentech, OSI Pharmaceuticals and Roche to study EGFR PharmDx for use as an aid in the assessment of patients with a diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), who might benefit from Tarceva® treatment.

Dako, world-leading provider of cancer diagnostic solutions, has entered into collaboration with Genentech, OSI and Roche for the clinical development and application for a Premarket Approval Supplement (sPMA) and CE marking of EGFR pharmDx for use of the EGFR pharmDx test as a potential aid in the assessment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients considered for treatment with Tarceva® (erlotinib).

Dako possesses substantial technical knowledge regarding the utility of immunochemistry for use in characterization of EGFR protein expression in tumor cells and markets the product, EGFR pharmDx, to assess clinical colon cancer tissue specimens for the presence of the EGFR protein, thereby aiding the physician in choosing appropriate therapy. Genentech, OSI and Roche have access to substantial proprietary and confidential technical and scientific information regarding their product Tarceva and were seeking a capable diagnostic collaborator.

"We are very pleased to announce our collaboration with Genentech, OSI and Roche because we believe this working relationship will be a way to potentially extend the use of our pharmDx assays. These types of cancer diagnostic tests are developed as companion products for cancer drugs and we see a need for this collaborative approach, due to the demand for targeted therapies," says Patrik Dahlén, CEO and President of Dako Denmark A/S.

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