Immunicon this week announced that it has signed a laboratory services and biomarker assay development pact with Merck Serono, the Geneva-based unit of Germany’s Merck KGaA.

 

Under the deal, Immunicon will develop specialized biomarker assays based on circulating tumor cells for an early clinical drug study. Immunicon said the new assays could potentially help doctors identify patients who have a high probability of responding to the drug being developed by Merck Serono.