Cancer Genetics, Inc., a leader in enabling precision medicine for oncology through molecular markers and diagnostics, announced an exclusive distribution agreement with Bengaluru based Sayre Therapeutics for sales and marketing rights of Cancer Genetics' Tissue of Origin (TOO) test in India and South Asia. TOO data generated by the use of the test in India will contribute to the expansion of CGI’s knowledge base to further validate the clinical utility of the test on a global basis.

“We view this partnership with Sayre as an important milestone in making precision medicine increasingly available outside the US, especially in high-growth, high-demand markets like India,” said Panna Sharma, CEO and president of Cancer Genetics. “We plan to continue broadening the access to our unique, proprietary portfolio of genomic and biomarker driven tests, which help in the management of cancer care, and Sayre has demonstrated reach and influence in the oncology sector throughout India.”

According to Dr. Palanki Satya Dattatreya, senior consultant and medical oncologist at Omega Hospitals, in Hyderabad, India, “Cancer of Unknown Primary (CUP) is not an uncommon condition in India. CUP continues to be an enigma to the physicians and an aggressive disease with unfavourable prognosis to the patients. Generally, CUP patients are subjected to a battery of repeated tests and go through agonizing uncertainty about their disease condition. The Tissue Of Origin (TOO) test, which is based on the principle of gene expression profiling, can be very useful in such cases. TOO test with its high specificity and sensitivity takes away the element of ambiguity, and enables the patient to get a more specific guideline-based therapy which translates into potentially better survival rates.”

CGI’s TOO is a microarray-based gene expression test that aids in identifying challenging tumours, including metastatic, poorly differentiated, and undifferentiated cancers. It is able to report the tissue of origin of 15 of the most common tumour types (thyroid, breast, non-small cell lung, pancreatic, gastric, colorectal, liver, bladder, kidney, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, melanoma, ovarian, sarcoma, testicular germ cell, and prostate tumours), representing 58 cancer morphologies and covering 90% of all solid tumours. TOO leads to a change in treatment 65% of the time.

Sayre has begun active marketing efforts in major metro markets of India and South Asia and has held seminars and workshops with key opinion leaders and clinicians. "It is heartening to note that many physicians are very positive about the test and feel that this is the way forward in making guided decisions or modifications of the treatment plan of patients with Cancer of Unknown Primary (CUP)", said Ravindranath Kunjithai, head medical and regulatory affairs at Sayre Therapeutics.