OHSU Collaborates With Swedish Firm to Develop Pancreatic Cancer Assay
The Oregon Health and Science University has collaborated with a Swedish biotech firm to bring a molecular test to market that could detect pancreatic cancer in its earliest stages. The test, ostensibly called IMMray PanCan-d, would analyze a patient’s immune system to detect signs of the cancer. It is being developed by Immunovia and OHSU’s Knight Cancer Institute. Pancreatic cancer can be treated successfully if detected in its earliest stages, but that rarely happens, as it is asymptomatic until it is in its most advanced form. As a result, the five-year survival rate is below 10 percent in most cases. Despite its relative rarity compared to other cancers—fewer than 50,000 cases are diagnosed annually in the U.S., less than a quarter the number of breast cancers—the pancreatic form of the disease kills 41,000 Americans every year. Under the terms of the arrangement, OHSU will provide confirmation services for the test by collecting and analyzing blood samples from patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas and running clinical tests with control groups. "If we’re going to make a significant impact on patients’ lives and improve their chances of survival, we need to detect cancer earlier when it’s most treatable. The immune system provides […]
The Oregon Health and Science University has collaborated with a Swedish biotech firm to bring a molecular test to market that could detect pancreatic cancer in its earliest stages.
The test, ostensibly called IMMray PanCan-d, would analyze a patient's immune system to detect signs of the cancer. It is being developed by Immunovia and OHSU's Knight Cancer Institute. Pancreatic cancer can be treated successfully if detected in its earliest stages, but that rarely happens, as it is asymptomatic until it is in its most advanced form. As a result, the five-year survival rate is below 10 percent in most cases.
Despite its relative rarity compared to other cancers—fewer than 50,000 cases are diagnosed annually in the U.S., less than a quarter the number of breast cancers—the pancreatic form of the disease kills 41,000 Americans every year. Under the terms of the arrangement, OHSU will provide confirmation services for the test by collecting and analyzing blood samples from patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas and running clinical tests with control groups.
"If we're going to make a significant impact on patients' lives and improve their chances of survival, we need to detect cancer earlier when it's most treatable. The immune system provides an early warning system that is invaluable in that effort," said Brian Druker, M.D., director of the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, in a statement. "We expect that our collaboration with Immunovia will not only improve the kind of screening tests available, but it will also allow us to intervene earlier in the course of the disease."
The completed test would be run through Immunovia's IMMray platform, which analyzes serum proteins for changes that signify the onset of disease.
"Our goal is to establish IMMray PanCan-d as a standard amongst pancreatologists and diabetes physicians worldwide for detecting pancreatic cancer in high-risk groups," said Immunovia Chief Executive Officer Mats Grahn in a statement.
Neither Immunovia or OHSU provided a timeline for the release of a test.
Takeaway: An overseas collaboration may eventually bring a vital tool to diagnosing pancreatic cancer to market.
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