MolecularMD Launches NanoString Platform for Multiplexed Digital Evaluation of Gene Expression and Copy Number Variation in Clinical Specimens

PORTLAND, OR--(Marketwired - Mar 5, 2014) - MolecularMD Corp. today announced that it has launched the NanoString nCounter® Analysis System for multiplex biomarker evaluation in support of oncology clinical drug development. Several types of gene panels are offered for clinical trial applications, including custom-designed multiplex analyses of gene expression, gene fusions, and copy number variation (CNV). As an nCounter Core Lab, MolecularMD has qualified the nCounter System in its Portland CLIA-certified laboratory where it will offer analytically validated pre-built panels and custom assays on the NanoString platform.

MolecularMD's Executive Vice President and CTO, Glenn Miller PhD, commented: "We are pleased to incorporate the NanoString nCounter System into our wide repertoire of molecular diagnostic tools leveraged for the development of precision cancer drugs. The technology enables digital analysis of expression levels or copy number variation for multiple targets or genes. We believe that incorporating this type of multiplexed gene expression evaluation in clinical trials will help sponsors better assess the safety and efficacy of new therapeutic agents or combination therapies. Furthermore, it should inform subsequent decisions with respect to biomarker(s) and companion diagnostic(s) to pursue for registration purposes. Our goal is to provide our pharmaceutical partners with the tools and data they need to decrease risk and improve the overall efficiency of clinical development of oncology therapies. Adding the NanoString platform capability to our other offerings enhances our ability to do just that."

Advantages of the nCounter System include its precision, sensitivity, efficiency, and scope of data generated. With no amplification step, the single molecule digital counting removes amplification bias and enhances the quality of the data. Input requirements are flexible, allowing sample types such as FFPE tissue, fresh tissue, and whole blood lysate with turn-around times comparable to RT-PCR.

About MolecularMD

MolecularMD Corporation develops and commercializes specialty molecular diagnostics for oncology applications. Its tests are designed to allow appropriate selection, monitoring and management of patients treated with molecularly-targeted cancer therapies. MolecularMD integrates gold-standard and innovative platform technologies with custom clinical assay design and validation to accelerate all phases of clinical development, including FDA approval and commercialization of in vitro companion diagnostic tests for novel anticancer agents. A private company based in Portland, Oregon, MolecularMD was founded by Dr. Brian Druker, director of the Knight Cancer Institute at Oregon Health & Science University, and Sheridan G. Snyder, entrepreneur and founder of Genzyme Corporation.