Company News
FDA-approved Therascreen® KRAS mutation in vitro diagnostic (IVD) test for colorectal adenocarcinoma
PhenoPath Laboratories is pleased to announce that we are offering the FDA-approved Therascreen® KRAS mutation in vitro diagnostic (IVD) test for colorectal adenocarcinoma. The Therascreen® KRAS mutation assay is a real-time, allele-specific PCR assay that uses Scorpian ARMS® technology to detect the most common KRAS mutations that involve codons 12 and 13. This is the only FDA-approved assay for KRAS mutations in colorectal adenocarcinoma and as the sole FDA-approved KRAS mutation test available, it is a requirement for determining patient eligibility for the anti-EGFR antibody drug cetuximab (Erbitux®). Additionally, KRAS mutational status determination is a requirement under current National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Practice GuidelinesTM for colorectal adenocarcinoma. 
The KRAS oncogene is a key signal transduction molecule that is downstream of the EGFR receptor tyrosine kinase. The codon 12 and 13 mutations tested for by the Therascreen® KRAS mutation assay result in a constitutively activated KRAS molecule that can no longer be negatively regulated by EGFR antibody blockade. In clinical trials, patients with tumors negative for a KRAS mutation (wild-type KRAS) were found to be responsive to anti-EGFR antibody therapy (Erbitux®). In contrast, patients with KRAS mutation positive tumors were found to be nonresponsive to such therapy. Therefore, KRAS mutation status is required to determine patient eligibility for Erbitux® therapy.
Please contact us at lab@phenopath.com should you have any questions regarding KRAS testing in colorectal adenocarcinoma.
References
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3. Amado RG et al. J Clin Oncol 2008 Apr 1;26(10):1626-34