Biodesix, Inc., a company developing and commercializing molecular diagnostics for personalized medicine, announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has awarded to the Company patent number 7,736,905. The patent provides coverage for the Company’s first product, VeriStrat®, which is used by physicians to help guide therapy for patients with advanced lung cancer. The allowed claims are directed towards the serum-based identification of patients likely to benefit from epidermal growth factor targeted therapy. Drug therapies directed against the epidermal growth factor pathway and related molecular targets play an increasingly important role in cancer therapy and represent the majority of oncology therapies in development, but do not provide benefit for all patients.
The patent also covers mass-spectrometry processes, algorithms and other important aspects of the Company’s core technology, ProTS®, and represents the cornerstone of the Company’s growing intellectual property portfolio.
“The granting of this patent recognizes our unique approach and innovation in this exciting area of molecular diagnostics,” commented David Brunel, Biodesix CEO. “We are committed to applying our technology to develop clinically meaningful tests that enhance clinical decision making and patient care.”
About VeriStrat
VeriStrat is a pretreatment serum test that identifies patients with advanced NSCLC who are likely or not likely to benefit from therapy with epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors (EGFRIs). Studies have shown that VeriStrat correlates with survival outcomes and is predictive of objective response and disease control in advanced NSCLC patients treated with EGFRIs. Because the test requires a simple blood draw and results are returned within 72 hours, VeriStrat offers a non-invasive method to help oncologists guide treatment decisions quickly. VeriStrat has been validated in clinical studies with over 1500 patients and tests are processed in Biodesix’ CLIA accredited laboratory. For more information or to order VeriStrat, visit www.VeriStratSupport.com or call the VeriStrat Support Hotline at 866-432-5930.
About Biodesix
Biodesix is a personalized medicine company focused on the development of diagnostic products that inform treatment decisions and improve patient care. In 2009, Biodesix launched VeriStrat®, a serum-based proteomic test to help physicians guide treatment for patients with non-small cell lung cancer. VeriStrat is based on ProTS®, proprietary technology which harnesses the power of mass spectrometry and enables the discovery of specific molecular profiles that characterize a patient’s condition or likely outcome in response to therapy. The ProTS® platform has broad application and provides the foundation for collaborations with leading researchers as well as partnerships with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies seeking to develop companion diagnostics and improve the targeting of their therapies. For more information about Biodesix, please visit the Company’s website at www.Biodesix.com.