The jury is no longer out

Data presented at last week's American Society for Clinical Oncology meeting removed all doubts that K-Ras (KRAS) genetic status is essential to determining whether to treat metastatic colorectal cancer with epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors. Payers have not yet made K-Ras testing mandatory before reimbursing for the drugs, but those contacted by BioCentury indicated they believe such testing is a good idea and they are scheduling reviews of their policies to see if that change should be implemented.

Meanwhile, physicians report they have already begun to use K-Ras gene tests regularly in their practices, leaving FDA as the odd man out in its insistence that prospective trials are needed before K-Ras can be considered a validated marker...