A FISH on the Line

Vysis Inc., which is attempting to penetrate the market with its FISH DNA probe technology, got a boost in May when it announced a collaboration with Genentech Inc. to couple the FISH breast cancer test with Genentech's drug, Herceptin. Vysis hopes the deal will showcase FISH technology and attract other drug developers as partners. Genentech, meanwhile, needs such a test to better screen one class of patients to determine their suitability for treatment with Herceptin, in light of controversy over how accurate the existing IHC diagnostic test is in determining their Her2 status.