US-based medical technology companies Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) and Labcorp have entered into a collaboration focused on the development of companion diagnostics (CDx).
The collaboration aims to develop, manufacture, and commercialise flow cytometry-based CDx to match patients with eligible treatments for cancer and other diseases.
Under the terms of the agreement, BD and Labcorp Drug Development jointly work on flow cytometry-based CDx opportunities with pharmaceutical partners.
In addition, the two companies will combine their CDx development capabilities for the collaboration.
Labcorp Drug Development chief scientific officer Bill Hanlon said: “Flow cytometry is a trusted and powerful tool for analysing cells to better understand the disease, and it has tremendous untapped potential as a companion diagnostic in oncology and other therapeutic areas.
“This strategic collaboration with BD, a pioneer and global leader in flow cytometry, is an exciting step toward increasing adoption and ultimately bringing innovative new companion diagnostics to market to help identify patients who could benefit most from appropriate treatments.”
According to BD, selecting optimal treatments for patients with cancer and other disease using CDx ensures superior outcomes, and saves time and cost.
CDx tests commonly involve immunohistochemistry (IHC), fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH), PCR, NGS and imaging technologies, and flow cytometry is an emerging technology in this area.
The joint offering from the collaboration will include the development of exploratory panels, US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of diagnostic and IVD kits, and their manufacturing and distribution.
BD Biosciences president Puneet Sarin said: “In the companion diagnostic landscape, there is a clear and urgent need for high sensitivity and multiplexing capabilities, and that is where flow cytometry can help.
“BD and our dedicated CDx team are uniquely positioned to advance flow cytometry as a companion diagnostic tool, and we are pleased to join forces with Labcorp to pursue opportunities with the pharmaceutical industry to develop new companion diagnostics.”
