July 23, 2008 – One of the greatest difficulties in treating malignant mesothelioma is that the disease is rarely diagnosed early. A significant stumbling block in the early diagnosis of mesothelioma may soon be knocked down, following an announcement from Rosetta Genomics that a diagnostic test has begun moving through the approval process, which may eventually be available for use in the United States.

The research is a collaborative effort between Rosetta Genomics Ltd (based in Rehovot, Israel) and the Columbia University Medical Center. Working together, the two groups have already developed a test that can distinguish between two common types of lung cancer.

The new test, which is based on proprietary technology called microRNA, was submitted for approval from the New York State Department of Health. The microRNA technology was developed by Rosetta Genomics Ltd.

The New York State Department of Health Clinical Laboratory Evaluation Program has announced that Rosetta’s lung cancer diagnostic test has been approved for clinical use.

Amir Avniel, Rosetta president and CEO, said, “This is a landmark event for us, marking the first step in the transformation of Rosetta Genomics into a commercial diagnostics company. We expect our development engines to enable the launch of additional tests based on our technology that have the potential to improve patient care worldwide.”

The new diagnostic test has been designed to differentiate between squamous and non-squamous adenocarcinomas, which have been difficult to differentiate in the past. The test can easily be performed on a small sample of a patient’s tumor.

Rosetta Genomics also hopes to complete the development of a diagnostic test that can distinguish between mesothelioma and adenocarcinomas. If successful, the company will submit the new diagnostic test for regulatory approval during the fourth quarter of 2008.

Mesothelioma is a rare, aggressive form of cancer that develops as a result of asbestos exposure. The average survival time of patients diagnosed with mesothelioma is one year, thus, misdiagnosis can waste valuable time concerning mesothelioma treatment options.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008 at 3:37 pm and is filed under Asbestos Exposure, Mesothelioma, Mesothelioma Treatment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.