Ferrer pharmaceutical company, with headquarters in Barcelona, announced the launch of EPICUP, the first epigenetic diagnostic test based on the analysis of DNA methylation profiles and helps the oncologist to identify the primary tumor in patients with cancer of unknown origin (CUP). The tool, fruit of public-private partnership between the Epigenetics and Cancer Biology Program of the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) led by Manel Esteller, the IDIBELL Innovation Unit and the Area of Innovation and Business development at FERRER, has a high degree of accuracy. So EPICUP becomes a good complement to the diagnostic methods currently used.
According to the World Health Organization, cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide and is projected to increase 45% between 2007 and 2030, which will involve more than 15 million new cases and 11.3 million deaths. “While in the past decade,” says Manel Esteller “we have achieved very important progress with regard to the diagnosis of the disease, even today, 5% of patients with cancer will be diagnosed with cancer of unknown origin.”
“These patients not only have a poor prognosis,” says Carmen Balañá from the Catalan Institute of Oncology Germans Trias i Pujol, “but also when we don’t know the origin of the tumor that gave rise to metastasis, they are given a treatment empirically. Indeed, in many cases, negatively affect both the progression of the disease and quality of life for patients.”
Aware of this reality, IDIBELL and Ferrer have developed EPICUP in order to help diagnose primary tumor and therefore to the oncologist doctor can establish the most appropriate treatment regimen for each case. Esteller emphasizes “we are working on finding methylation profiling to help us identify what treatments could be sensitive within the tumor, which will aim to complement in the short / medium term EPICUP”.
This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No 640696).
FERRER is a chemical-pharmaceutical company based in Barcelona. Founded in 1959, the group encompasses today 45 companies developing its activities in Europe, Latin America, Africa, Middle East, Asia and America. In total, FERRER health products sold in 93 countries through 26 direct subsidiaries (including joint ventures) and 70 partners and distributors. FERRER activities carried out along the entire value chain of the drug, from R & D to international marketing, including the development of fine chemicals and manufacturing raw materials and pharmaceuticals.