CAP TODAY Pathology/Laboratory Medicine/Laboratory Management
Insight Genetics has received from the National Cancer Institute two small business innovation research contracts to continue its work developing diagnostic tests that identify and characterize specific genetic mutations in lung cancer patients.
Insight received a $1,495,220 phase II contract to further develop its proprietary Insight ALK Screen test that detects the complete spectrum of oncogenic anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) mutations and fusions. The NCI also awarded the company a $199,576 phase I contract to support research and development of a panel of companion diagnostic tests for the detection of RET, ROS1, and DEPDC1 mutations in non-small cell lung cancer. The phase I contract funds nine months of work to create the panel test, with the potential to continue into phase II funding. As part of its phase II contract, the company will continue analytical and clinical validation of the Insight ALK Screen real-time qPCR-based test, which is being developed on a Qiagen platform.