In the past year, diagnostics developer Vysis Inc. , a division of BP Amoco PLC , has sold off non-core assets and cut staff to bolster a shaky financial position. Its business has been hurt by the slow acceptance of FISH (fluorescent in situ hybridization), its DNA probe technology. But the company got a boost in May when it announced a collaboration with Genentech Inc. [See Deal] to extend use of its PathVysion FISH breast cancer test to assess patients being considered for treatment with Genentech's Herceptin therapeutic antibody against HER-2 , an arrangement that also extends to future clinical studies in other cancers where evidence of HER-2 amplification exists.
Vysis hopes the deal will serve to showcase its technology and attract other drug developers as partners. Genentech's need is...