Oncimmune Holdings plc (LON:ONC), the leading global immunodiagnostics group, has announced that it has signed a collaboration with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, to characterise the autoantibody profiles of patients in clinical trials for rheumatological diseases, including Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.
In this new project, Oncimmune will use its proprietary NavigAID™ panel to characterise autoantibody profiles from trial participants.
Following completion of this project, Genentech has the option to expand the contract to profile additional samples.
SLE is a chronic, incurable autoimmune disease associated with multiple symptoms that can flare up over time. Diagnosis of SLE can be challenging. An objective of the project includes better characterisation of the disease, where there is a high unmet need for an effective therapy.
This project builds upon Oncimmune’s broadening commercial footprint to not only deliver diagnostic tests, through EarlyCDT Lung and Liver, but also to partner with large pharmaceutical companies by profiling autoantibodies and developing commercial companion diagnostic tests through Oncimmune’s ImmunoINSIGHTS service business.
Dr Adam M Hill, CEO of Oncimmune said: “Genentech is a pre-eminent biotechnology company, considered a leader in the biotech industry today. This contract adds to the already substantial pipeline of contracted revenue through our ImmunoINSIGHTS business in FY2021 and provides another opportunity to show how our NavigAID™ technology can assist partners in increasing their ability to better assess where their medicines could make an impact. We look forward to delivering this project and contributing to the scientific understanding of lupus.”