MEDTECH, INDUSTRIAL IMPACT
SOPHiA GENETICS and QIAGEN | March 06, 2023
SOPHiA GENETICS, a healthcare cloud-based software company, announced a new partnership with QIAGEN N.V. that will pair QIAseq reagent technology with the SOPHiA DDM™ platform to improve tumor analysis via next-generation sequencing (NGS).
Customers can utilize QIAseq panels with SOPHiA DDM™, a cloud-based data analysis platform to enable new research perspectives. The partnership will support the detection of somatic variants using QIAseq targeted DNA pro panels for homologous recombination repair. HRR is a biomarker test that helps identify tumors with specific mutations that may be sensitive to PARP inhibitors in oncology.
SOPHiA GENETICS's Set-Up Program, which aims to establish and demonstrate any test's analytical performance before it is carried out, will be integrated with QIAGEN's kits to support a range of applications. This partnership will allow customers to improve the design of new workflows using QIAseq technologies, while SOPHiA DDM™ will offer extensive applications for QIAGEN kits.
QIAGEN intends to expand its partnership with SOPHiA GENETICS to other analysis areas, such as utilizing custom solutions and QIAseq panels. This partnership is the first one in QIAGEN's QIAseq Platform Partnership.
Next-generation sequencing (NGS) can transform the detection and management of rare diseases and cancers. However, it also generates large, intricate, and messy datasets that are challenging to analyze. Identifying causal variants and getting valuable insights from NGS data requires specialized expertise, time, and numerous resources. The SOPHiA DDM™ Platform is a machine learning-based analytical tool that can efficiently call, annotate, and pre-classify variants from raw NGS data. In addition, it features user-friendly capabilities to facilitate prioritization, interpretation and reporting.
About QIAGEN
QIAGEN is a global provider of sample and assay technologies for academic and pharmaceutical research, molecular diagnostics, and applied tests. In addition, the firm offers a wide range of products and solutions for the isolation, purification, and analysis of DNA, RNA, and proteins, as well as automation and bioinformatics services. With over 35 countries and over 5,000 employees, QIAGEN serves customers in various fields such as human healthcare, animal health, and environmental testing. The company is headquartered in Venlo, Netherlands, and has offices and facilities across the globe.
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CELL AND GENE THERAPY, INDUSTRIAL IMPACT
Center for Breakthrough Medicines | February 27, 2023
Center for Breakthrough Medicines (CBM), a leading contract development and manufacturing organization dedicated to addressing the challenges of commercializing cell and gene therapies, and Virion Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotech firm focused on developing accessible and adaptable CD8+ T cell-based technologies for cancer and infectious diseases, have recently announced a strategic collaboration agreement.
CBM will partner and manufacture with Virion Therapeutics on their checkpoint modifier clinical development programs, including the First-in-Human VRON-0200 immunotherapy, designed to treat chronic Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection.
The collaboration aims to develop VRON-0200, a pan-genotypic, global therapeutic immunotherapy that targets chronic HBV infection, which affects over 295 million people worldwide. HBV impairs CD8+ T cells, which results in the loss of viral control. VRON-0200 induces a broad CD8+ T cell response, which includes responses to the core and pol regions not generally induced by the infection. Therefore, VRON-0200 is designed to stimulate a highly functional immune response to help clear the virus.
CBM's Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer Audrey Greenberg commented, "Virion is working to revolutionize the immunotherapy treatment landscape, and we are honored to partner with them on this bold mission as we share a common goal – to create a future free of cancer and chronic infectious diseases." She further emphasized, "We have assembled best-in-field technical teams, supported by industry-leading product and process development, manufacturing, and testing capabilities, all located within a single, world-class manufacturing facility. We look forward to working with Virion to bring their life-saving therapies to the patients who need them most, as quickly as possible."
(Source – PR Newswire)
About Center for Breakthrough Medicines
The Center for Breakthrough Medicines is a pioneering contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) situated in the center of "Cellicon Valley," with a focus on cell and gene therapies. It offers an all-in-one solution to expedite the speed of delivering advanced treatments to the market. Its customer-oriented approach, combined with a culture that prioritizes the needs of patients, guarantees dependable and high-quality process and analytical development, GMP testing, viral vector manufacturing, plasmid production, cell therapy bioprocessing and cell banking services throughout the entire life cycle of a product.
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CELL AND GENE THERAPY, INDUSTRIAL IMPACT
Ligand Pharmaceuticals | February 21, 2023
In a recent announcement by biopharmaceutical firm, Ligand Pharmaceuticals, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given accelerated approval for FILSPARITM (sparsentan). This will be helpful in treating adults with primary IgAN condition who are at risk of rapid disease progression, typically defined as a urine protein-to-creatinine ratio (UPCR) of less than 1.5 g/g.
FILSPARI, a once-daily oral medicine, is the first and only non-immunosuppressive therapy authorized for the treatment of IgAN. Two critical pathways are selectively targeted of IgAN (endothelin-1 and angiotensin II) to check disease progression. Up to 150,000 Americans may have the rare kidney illness IgAN, which is the main cause of kidney failure brought on by glomerular disease. Among these patients, it is predicted that 30,000 to 50,000 can be treated using the indication that has received accelerated approval. Travere has stated that it anticipates FILSPARI to be available from February 27, 2023, and it will offer a thorough patient support program all the way through the patient's therapeutic journey.
Eric Dube, Ph.D., President and CEO of Travere Therapeutics, said, “The accelerated approval of FILSPARI is a significant milestone on our path to advancing a transformative treatment for the IgA nephropathy community.” He further added, “As a first-of-its-kind, non-immunosuppressive therapy, we believe FILSPARI has the potential to ultimately become the new standard of care for IgA nephropathy and offer hope to those living with this condition who until now have had few treatment options. We are grateful to the patients, caregivers, clinical trial investigators, healthcare providers, and advocates who have worked alongside us to develop this innovative first-in-class therapy.”
(Source – Business Wire)
About Ligand Pharmaceuticals
Ligand Pharmaceuticals creates or acquires technologies that aid in the discovery and development of drugs by pharmaceutical firms. The company’s business model generates value for stockholders by offering a diverse portfolio of biotech and pharmaceutical product income streams, that are underpinned by an effective and low corporate cost structure.
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