Update On My Last Entry

Read this article in Medical News Today:

"ViroLogic, utilizing its proprietary eTag(TM) assays will test tumor samples from lung cancer patients treated with Iressa to evaluate the utility of these assays in targeting patients who would most likely benefit from Iressa."

So obviously the people of AstraZeneca read my blog today. They then immediately brokered this deal with ViroLogic to do a cancer biomarker study. Presumably this will facilitate the development of a commercial assay for one or more of the mutations that would be expected to predict a good response to Iressa.

But seriously, two questions:

1) Why didn’t they plan for this in the first place? They knew that these mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor protein were the likely mediators of the drug’s response. (There must be involvement of other factors as well because the drug does have activity in tumors without the mutation.)

2) More importantly, why are we only now finding that Iressa doesn't do what it's supposed to do (extend life in patients with advanced lung cancer) after it’s already been on the market for almost two years?