Med BioGene’s lead test under development is GeneFx® Lung (formerly, LungExpress Dx), a proprietary gene expression-based test to improve upon staging for identifying those patients with early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who, following surgical removal of their tumor, are at higher and lower risks of mortality. In an initial study of patient specimens from the National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group JBR.10 trial, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, patients classified by GeneFx Lung as higher risk benefited from adjuvant chemotherapy, and those classified as lower risk did not benefit and may have experienced a detrimental effect from adjuvant chemotherapy. GeneFx Lung was subsequently validated in predicting patient mortality in four independent studies involving data from tumor specimens totaling 676 untreated early-stage NSCLC patients. GeneFx Lung is expected to provide better-informed and personalized treatment decisions to assist in the selection of patients for adjuvant chemotherapy.        

On April 15, 2011, Precision Therapeutics, Inc. and Med BioGene closed their commercialization agreement. The agreement provides to Precision exclusive global rights to develop and commercialize GeneFx Lung. 

Precision expects to commence commercialization of GeneFx Lung through its CLIA-certified laboratory by mid-2013.  For more information on Precision Therapeutics, please see www.precisiontherapeutics.com.