Ventana's c-Kit test for GISTs:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
The US FDA has approved for sale Ventana Medical Systems' VentanaDx, a diagnostic kit for allowing physicians to detect c-KIT protein in gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs). While not the sole basis for making a diagnosis of GIST, c-KIT can help in the selection of patients who may be eligible for treatment with Novartis' Gleevec (imatinib mesylate), said Tucson, Arizona-based Ventana. GISTs belong to a rare family of tumours known as soft tissue sarcomas, which most often develop in the stomach, but may also affect the small intestine, colon or oesophagus.