Caris Life Sciences (NASDAQ: CAI) announced it will offer in-house PTEN immunohistochemistry (IHC) testing following the FDA approval of capivasertib, in combination with abiraterone and prednisone, for adults with PTEN-deficient metastatic androgen pathway modulation-naïve or -sensitive prostate cancer.

The testing is designed to identify patients whose tumors exhibit PTEN protein loss, a molecular alteration associated with activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway. According to the company, one in four patients with this form of prostate cancer have PTEN-deficient tumors. Prostate cancer accounts for more than 300,000 new diagnoses annually in the United States.

Testing will be performed within Caris' CAP-accredited, CLIA-certified laboratories. The company said the in-house capability is intended to deliver results more efficiently to support clinical decision-making.

"The ability to identify PTEN loss through IHC testing brings a new level of precision to treatment selection, helping ensure that the right patients can be matched with biomarker-driven therapies at a critical point in their disease," said George W. Sledge Jr., MD, EVP and Chief Medical Officer at Caris.

The new assay expands Caris' existing IHC testing portfolio and is intended to complement the company's broader molecular profiling offerings, which include next-generation sequencing. The Irving, Texas-based company said PTEN IHC results can be integrated with its multi-platform profiling approach to provide additional information on tumor biology.