Biodesix, Inc., a fully integrated molecular diagnostics company dedicated to personalizing medicine, today announced the issuance of three additional patents. The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (PTO) granted two new patents which provide intellectual property protection for methods relating to the Company’s products and technology. In addition, the European Patent Office granted to Biodesix a patent providing coverage for the Company’s product VeriStrat®, for the selection of patients for drug therapy. VeriStrat is a serum proteomic test currently available in the United States to help physicians guide therapy for patients with advanced lung cancer.
European patent number 2,247,954 is the counterpart to U.S. patent number 7,867,775 and covers the use of VeriStrat for selection of head and neck cancer patients for treatment with targeted drugs. U. S. patent number 8,024,282 (‘282) provides additional intellectual property protection for the methods used with VeriStrat which are also related to Biodesix’ underlying core ProTS® technology. Specifically, the ‘282 patent supports the Company’s methods for the reliable and reproducible classification of samples in clinical diagnostics using computer systems configured as probabilistic classifiers. Related U.S. patent 7,906,342 covers Biodesix’ methods for using mass spectrometry of patient samples to monitor cancer patients being treated with drugs targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway for response or non-responsiveness to the treatment. Biodesix also received notice from the PTO that two additional patent applications covering the use of VeriStrat for monitoring of head and neck, as well as colorectal cancer patients being treated with drugs targeting the EGFR pathway have been allowed; these patents are expected to issue early in the first quarter of 2012.
Drug therapies targeting the EGFR pathway and related molecular targets play an increasingly important role in cancer therapy. Identifying patients likely to benefit from this class of drugs is key to improving overall patient outcomes.
“The expansion of our patent estate is an integral part of our global strategy to protect VeriStrat and our technology platform,” commented David Brunel, Biodesix CEO. “This protection strengthens our commercial position as a leading provider of diagnostics to personalize medicine for oncology patients.”
About Biodesix
Biodesix is a fully integrated molecular diagnostics company advancing the development of products for personalized medicine. Biodesix provides physicians with tools for earlier disease detection, more accurate diagnosis, and better therapeutic guidance. In 2009, Biodesix launched VeriStrat®, a serum proteomic test that helps 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 Customer Support, call: (866) 432-5930