BD (NYSE:BDX) announced today that it entered into a collaboration with Labcorp (NYSE:LH) to develop diagnostics.
The collaboration aims to create the framework to develop, manufacture, market and commercialize flow cytometry-based companion diagnostics (CDx) intended to match patients with life-changing treatments for cancer and other diseases.
Under the agreement, BD and Labcorp Drug Development will work together on flow cytometry-based CDx opportunities with pharmaceutical partners, bringing together capabilities that, according to a news release, comprise an end-to-end solution for CDx development.
The joint offering expected to come out of the partnership ranges from exploratory panel development to FDA approval of diagnostic and IVD kit manufacturing and distribution.
“Flow cytometry is a trusted and powerful tool for analyzing cells to better understand disease, and it has tremendous untapped potential as a companion diagnostic in oncology and other therapeutic areas,” Labcorp Drug Development CSO Dr. Bill Hanlon said in the release. “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.”
The companies said that flow cytometry for companion diagnostics offers an emerging technology in the field that helps select the optimal first-line therapy for cancer patients. Companion tests commonly involve technologies including immunohistochemistry (IHC), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), next-generation sequencing (NGS) and imaging.
“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,” said Puneet Sarin, president of BD Biosciences. “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, a trusted global leader in diagnostic testing and drug development, to pursue opportunities with the pharmaceutical industry to develop new companion diagnostics that can potentially improve patient outcomes and drive us forward in advancing the world of health.”