While non-Hispanic white women have higher rates of breast cancer incidence, African-American women have a higher incidence rate before age 40 and are more likely to die from breast cancer at every age.

Recent research findings have provided a better understanding of breast cancer resistance to chemotherapy through the discovery of useful biomarkers.  It is thought that treatment recommendations for breast cancer patients may be tailored through the use of tumor genomic profiling, as well as analysis of host characteristics. PHIGENIX's mission is to developing diagnostic tests which determines the levels of a key oncogene that is known to regulate drug response in breast cancer, which may assist physicians in determining treatment regime. 

Phigenix has exciting new data demonstrating that treatment of drug resistant breast cancer cells with a Her2-targeted ADC resulted in decreased PAX2 expression, and cancer cell growth inhibition and death. In addition, Phigenix has preliminary data showing a significant correlation between aberrant Her2 and PAX2 expression in breast cancer patients. Therefore, PAX2 may be a viable target for treating certain breast cancers1, and screening for PAX2 expression may be a viable diagnostic tool in assisting physicians in determining which patients are more likely to respond to certain drugs. 

Phigenix is seeking partnerships to advance current programs, and in the development of new products based on our unique cancer-specific targets and companion diagnostics.

1- US Patent No. 8,080,534 entitled “Targeting PAX2 for the Treatment of Breast Cancer” is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application No. 12/090,191, filed on Sept. 15, 2008 (now US Pat No. 7,964,577) as a national stage application of PCT/US2006/040215, filed Oct. 16, 2006, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/726,921, filed Oct. 14, 2005..