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news.US based Immunicon has received a four-year grant from the Center for Translational Molecular Medicine to develop a test to detect minimal residual disease in the blood of acute myeloid leukemia patients.
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Using current methods, detection can only be done by taking regular bone marrow aspirates, which are typically very painful to extract for the patient. The program is planned to launch in September 2008 and is designed to broaden the number of personalized therapies available to patients.
Immunicon also joined an international consortium of partners for the Center for Translational Molecular Medicine (CTMM) grant including Skyline Diagnostics, Crosslinks, Flexgen, and Atos Origin. Academic partners in the investigations include the Institute for Medical Technology Assessment, VU Medisch Centrum, Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht, Edinburgh University and Erasmus Medisch.
Byron Hewett, CEO and president of Immunicon, said: “This grant funds the development of the company’s capture, detection and Fish reagents which we believe will help bridge the gap between current cancer treatment methods and more patient-friendly techniques. The grant will allow Immunicon to expand on the current assay that detects circulating carcinoma cells to circulating leukemia cells.”