GENE DETECTION ASSAY FOR IMPROVING THE LIKELIHOOD OF AN EFFECTIVE RESPONSE TO AN ErbB ANTAGONIST CANCER THERAPY
AssigneeGenentech, Inc.
InventorRobert D. Mass
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Abstract
The invention provides a method for more effective treatment of patients susceptible to or diagnosed with tumors overexpressing EGFR, as determined by a gene amplification assay, with an EGFR antagonist. Such method comprises administering a cancer-treating dose of the EGFR antagonist, preferably in addition to chemotherapeutic agents, to a subject in whose tumor cells erbB1 gene has been found to be amplified e.g., by fluorescent in situ hybridization. EGFR antagonists described include an anti-EGFR antibody.
Claims5
A method for identifying a patient disposed to respond favorably to an Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) antagonist for treating cancer, which method comprises detecting erbB1 gene amplification in tumor cells in a tissue sample from the patient.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.