Collaboration Targets New Circulating Tumor Cell Technology

(National Institutes of Health)

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston and Veridex LLC, a biotechnology subsidiary of pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson  in Raritan, New Jersey said today they plan to develop and commercialize a technology for capturing, counting, and characterizing tumor cells found in patients’ blood. These circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are cancer cells that have detached from the tumor and are found at low levels in the bloodstream.

The value of capturing and counting CTCs is evolving as more research data are gathered about the utility of these markers in monitoring disease progression and potentially guiding personalized cancer therapy. This technology is expected to be used by oncologists as a diagnostic tool for personalizing patient care, and researchers to accelerate and improve drug discovery and development.

The collaboration will bring technology innovation experts and molecular biologists and clinical researchers from MGH together with research and development staff at Veridex, who have experience in clinical validation and regulatory clearance of new medical technology. Veridex will also tap the expertise of the Ortho Biotech oncology R&D unit of Johnson & Johnson in therapeutics, biomarkers, and diagnostics.

MGH says its team has already developed a microfluidic chip capable of capturing CTCs.  However the technology now being developed with the companies is based on a new technological platform and will aim for even higher sensitivity.

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