Founded in 2010, AccuGenomics is a North Carolina-based, privately held genetics testing company focused on providing standardized gene expression tests to accurately diagnose, monitor and inform cancer treatments.
The company has two tests in development to diagnose, monitor and inform treatments of leukemia and lung cancers.
More than 44,000 patients per year will be diagnosed with leukemia each year; and recent data shows that about 21,000 will die from this blood cancer each year. In addition, more people die from lung cancer than any other cancer in the United States each year. Around 200,000 people will be diagnosed with lung cancer each year. More than 150,000 people will die from lung cancer each year.
Standardized BCR-ABL Molecular Diagnostics Test
The first test from AccuGenomics is for monitoring the treatment efficiency, minimal residual disease (MRD) and follow for a disease relapse in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients with a BCR-ABL MBCR fusion gene event – a known fusion between oncogenes (genes that have the potential to cause cancer). When the gene encodes the protein known as P210BCR-ABL, it can lead to deregulated tyrosine kinase activity and cellular proliferation (steps that lead to the cancer cell formation).
Lung Cancer Risk Test (LCRK-AGX) 14 Gene Test
AccuGenomics is currently recruiting lung cancer patients for clinical trials of their Lung Cancer Risk Test – LCRK-AGX 14 gene test. This test is designed to identify patients at the highest risk for developing America’s most common cancer. By determining risk in the early stage, the hope is to lessen this deadly cancer’s impact.
A recent National Institutes of Health study found that an annual chest CT scan reduces the mortality from this cancer by more than 20 percent. AccuGenomics pointed out that screening the 7 million patients at risk for lung cancer could cost $5 billion per year.
Their aim with the LCRT-AGX 14 gene test is to offer patients a lower-cost route to determining their genetic predisposition for lung cancer so that they can be prioritized for screening.
AccuGenomics will be presenting its products and technologies at OneMedForum SF 2012, on January 9 – 12.
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