NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Menarini-Silicon Biosystems said today that it has signed an agreement to purchase all the assets and relevant business related to the Cellsearch circulating tumor cell (CTC) system from Janssen Diagnostics for an undisclosed amount.
Cellsearch is used to help manage patients with metastatic breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers. It is the only US Food and Drug Administration-cleared CTC test, and has been approved by the China FDA for use in monitoring breast cancer patients.
Menarini-Silicon Biosystems said that Cellsearch will complement its other diagnostic products, including the DEPArray system, a rare-cell detection and isolation technology that is used in a number of therapeutic areas, including oncology. With both products, the company said it will be able to provide CTC detection alongside molecular characterization capabilities.
Under the terms of the agreement, Menarini-Silicon Biosystems, which is headquartered in Bologna, Italy, and has a US office in San Diego, said it will seek to retain many of the Janssen Diagnostics employees in roles dedicated to CTCs, and assume operation of Janssen's CLIA-certified laboratory in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania.