Despite extensive research, today all drugs used to cure cancer are applied blindly, without any knowledge of their efficacy as well as side effects they produce at the level of the single patient. The problem lies in the lack of suitable assays to select patients more likely to respond to a given anticancer therapy.

Of relevance has been the notion of “companion diagnostics”, whereby molecular assays that measure levels of proteins, genes, or specific mutations are used to provide a highly specific therapy for an individual’s cancer – by stratifying disease status, selecting the proper medication, and tailoring dosages to that patient’s specific needs. In other words, it is today possible to examine the impact of genetic/protein variation of the host and the tumor and predict drug responses and toxicities.

MediaPharma is focusing on personalized oncology by developing companion diagnostic tests along with the development of its antibody pipeline. The development of biomarkers that identify defined patient populations enables a more individualized approach to cancer treatment than previously possible and has the potential to reduce the cost of cancer care.