Dako and Amgen to create cancer diagnostic test

Dako has entered into a collaborative arrangement with Amgen to create a new companion diagnostic test for a new cancer drug.

The life science company will utilise its extensive experience in pathology and cancer diagnostics to create a testing device for an Amgen therapy designed for a rare and deadly form of cancer.

It reinforces Dako's commitment to furthering research into personalised medicine, a field that has been identified as a potentially important way of improving care quality and managing healthcare costs.

The firm has formed alliances in this area with a number of leading pharmaceutical companies over the last two years, including Genentech, AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Lars Holmkvist, Dako's chief executive officer, said: "This new collaboration brings hope to cancer patients suffering from this rare form of cancer."

Last month, it was announced that Dako and Genentech are now seeking US regulatory approval for the HercepTest and HER2 FISH pharmDx to be used in conjunction with the breast cancer therapy pertuzumab.