GTG appointments expected to boost test service

Melbourne biotechnology company Genetic Technologies (ASX: GTG) has appointed two Australian scientists to assist it with the set up of its new cancer susceptibility genetic testing service.

Prof Deon Venter, head of the Cancer Functional Genomics Laboratory at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, as well as head of the Cancer Epidemiology Program, Department of Pathology at the University of Melbourne, has joined GTG's board, and will oversee the establishment and operation of the new testing service.

And the company has hired Dr Frank Firgaira, formerly head of the Genetic Pathology Laboratory at Flinders Medical Centre in South Australia, as head of molecular diagnostics at GTG, where he will set up and manage the service.

The testing service is the result of a strategic alliance formed last year between GTG and leading US genetic testing company Myriad Genetics, which gave Myriad the license to use GTG's non-coding DNA patents in return for the rights to offer Myriad's cancer susceptibility screening tests for BRCA-1 and BRCA-2 breast cancers and other cancers including bowel cancer and melanoma in Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia.

"We have made it a corporate priority to bring state-of-the-art cancer susceptibility testing to Australia," said GTG's executive director, Dr Mervyn Jacobson.

According to Jacobson, the testing service will not be limited to BRCA or other tests developed by Myriad. A recent deal with Swedish company Pyrosequencing is providing the company with three analytical instruments, bundled with reagents and seven new gene-based assays to bolster the testing service.

"We're being offered other test systems and assays from groups around the world," Jacobson said.

But the process has not been without its hurdles. When GTG announced the deal with Myriad last year, the company was criticised by a number of groups, including the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia, who believed the service would put the tests out of reach of many Australians, an allegation that Jacobson disagreed with. Until now, most genetic susceptibility testing has been performed by university and hospital laboratories, in breach of the patents held by Myriad and often taking an inordinate amount of time to complete, he said.

However, in a turnaround, GTG is now working with a number of institutions around the country to provide faster results and improved testing services, according to Jacobson.

"Everyone in Australia who has an interest in this field is invited to work with us," he said.

The sentiment has been echoed by Venter, who said that GTG was committed to working hand in hand with public testing agencies in Australia.

"By working in a mutually beneficial manner with existing services, we will not only bring Australia up to international standards in disease testing services but also help the public testing labs process their massive workload and current backlog," Venter said.

"Both Dr Firgaira and I are actively involved and committed to scientific research in Australia and overseas. With GTG we will foster partnerships between public organisations, academic institutions and the private sector to meet our collective, ultimate goal of improving the health and quality of life for the Australian community."

The new service is expected to begin accepting samples for testing in a matter of weeks, although Jacobson said that it would still take some time for it to be running at full strength. In addition, the testing service is in the process of obtaining NATA accreditation for medical testing genetics.

Sheep parasite agreement

GTG has also signed a research agreement with Meat and Livestock Australia to develop new treatments for sheep parasites including pathogenic nematode Trichostrongylus vitrinus.

The project forms the second phase of the company's Pathogen Genetics and Genomics Project (PGGP), a collaboration with Dr Robyn Gasser at the University of Melbourne's School of Veterinary Science. The first phase of the program focused on the waterborne pathogen Cryptosporidium, and a provisional patent covering diagnostic technology has been filed.

Under the terms of the agreement, MLA will provide $AUD490,235 to the project over the next three years, and will receive a five per cent share of any future royalties deriving from the project. The project last year attracted a $240,000 grant from the Australian Research Council.

"The object of PGGP is to study and develop innovative new gene-based approaches for controlling certain infectious and parasitic diseases in humans and in livestock, and in particular, how to treat such infestations while at the same time reducing the current widespread use and abuse of antibiotics in agriculture," said GTG executive chairman Dr Mervyn Jacobson.