First quantitative diagnostic test validated for Treatment-Free Remission for Eligible Patients with Ph+ CML-CP Treated with Tasigna® Cleared by Health Canada

PORTLAND, Ore. and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 13, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MolecularMD Corporation received regulatory approval from Health Canada for the MRDx^® BCR-ABL Test, a quantitative diagnostic test used as an aid to monitor treatment with a Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor (TKI) in Philadelphia chromosome positive (Ph+) Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) patients and in identifying patients in the chronic phase being treated with Tasigna^® (nilotinib) capsules who, after sustaining a deep molecular response of MR^4.5, may be candidates  to attempt treatment-free remission (TFR) and for monitoring of TFR. The approval is the first quantitative diagnostic test for TFR in Canada, and follows U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance of the test in late 2017.

TFR is the ability for eligible patients who achieved a sustained MR^4.5 to maintain MMR (frontline) or MR⁴ (second line) after discontinuing Tasigna, a BCR-ABL TKI also approved in Canada¹.  These patients no longer take daily oral therapy but continue to be actively managed through frequently scheduled monitoring with the MRDx BCR-ABL Test to identify a loss of molecular responses.

“This is an exciting milestone for the MRDx BCR-ABL Test, enabling it to become more broadly accessible to patients beyond the United States,” said Dan Snyder, CEO of MolecularMD.  “The test ensures that physicians have the information needed to identify Tasigna-treated patients who meet the stringent eligibility criteria to attempt TFR and provides the robust sensitivity and accuracy necessary for monitoring minimal residual disease with confidence.” Approximately 2,700 Canadians are living with, or are in remission from CML⁴.

MolecularMD is the exclusive manufacturer of the MRDx BCR-ABL Test and intends to provide  the quantitative diagnostic kit to reference laboratories in Canada that support their clinicians treating Ph+ and CML) patients.

About MolecularMD
MolecularMD Corporation is a diagnostics company that enables the development and commercialization of precision medicines in oncology. Its tests are designed to allow appropriate selection, monitoring and management of patients treated with molecularly-targeted and immuno 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.

^® Tasigna is a registered trademark of Novartis AG.

References:

1. Tasigna^® (nilotinib capsules) Canadian approved Product Monograph dated July 24, 2018
2. Hochhaus A, Saglio G, Hughes TP, et al. Long-term benefits and risks of frontline nilotinib vs imatinib for chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase: 5-year update of the randomized ENESTnd trial. Leukemia 2016; 30: 1044–1054.
3. Hochhaus A, Masszi T, Giles FJ, et al. Treatment-free remission following frontline nilotinib in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase: results from the ENESTfreedom study. Leukemia 2017; 31: 1525–1531.
4. Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Canada.
   

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MolecularMD
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