Abbott expands GlaxoSmithKline cancer diagnostics collaboration

Abbott has announced an expansion of its agreement with GlaxoSmithKline to develop an additional diagnostic test to support the latter company's cancer immunotherapy research.

Under the terms of the revised partnership, Abbott will create a polymerase chain reaction test for the Abbott m2000rt instrument, in order to screen non-small cell lung cancer tumours for the expression of the PRAME antigen.

This antigen has been identified as a biomarker for a wide variety of cancer types and is the subject of new studies into the disease by GlaxoSmithKline.

Prior to this, the Abbott/GlaxoSmithKline research alliance was based on developing tests for the MAGE-A3 antigen.

Stafford O'Kelly, head of Abbott's molecular diagnostics business, said: "This expanded collaboration, along with Abbott's other recently announced partnerships in oncology, demonstrates the continued commitment Abbott is making to assess biomarkers linked to immunotherapies in various cancers."

Last month, Abbott was presented with a 2011 Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Award in recognition of the performance and design of its Absorb bioresorbable vascular scaffold.