Inotrem has signed a R&D collaboration agreement with Roche Diagnostics to develop a companion diagnostic test using a soluble plasma circulating protein (sTREM-1) developed by Inotrem and the Roche proprietary Elecsys platform.
It is Roche Diagnostics’ first collaboration agreement with a start-up biotech company.
Under the terms of the agreement, Roche and Inotrem will work together to develop an in vitro robust prototype assay for quantitative measurement of soluble TREM-1 (sTREM-1) in plasma samples of septic shock patients.
sTREM-1 is a marker of the activation of the TREM-1 immune amplification pathway and high sTREM-1 plasma concentrations have been shown to be associated to a negative outcome in septic shock patients. Measurement of sTREM-1 in blood could provide a valuable indicator for the diagnosis and outcome prediction of septic shock patients.
Inotrem is currently conducting a clinical Phase 2 trial in patients with septic shock to demonstrate the benefit of its lead compound, Motrem™ (LR12) in the treatment of septic shock. The collaboration with Roche Diagnostics may lead to a companion diagnostic supporting the development of Motrem™.
“One of the main issues with septic shock is the heterogeneity of this patient population. This collaboration proposes to develop a test to allow a certain stratification of sepsis patients to ideally identify patients who are more likely to respond to Motrem treatment,” said Jean-Jacques Garaud, CEO and co-founder of Inotrem.
“It shows our shared willingness to accelerate the development of targeted therapeutic solutions for these patients.”
The physiopathology of septic shock is characterized by an intense and excessive systemic inflammatory reaction in response to a serious infection. Its consequences include the dysfunction of vital organs and major hemodynamic disorders that may prove fatal for patients. Activation of the TREM-1 pathway is recognized as a key factor contributing to septic shock.
“As a leader in in vitro diagnostics solutions, it is a great opportunity to participate to the opening of a new front in critical care medicine, particularly in an area known for its difficult and highly heterogeneous population in septic shock”, shared Jean-Claude Gottraux, Head of Roche Diagnostics, Centralized and Point of Care Solutions.
“We are particularly pleased as this is the first time Roche Diagnostics is collaborating with a start-up biotech company.”