NEW YORK – Qiagen and Myriad Genetics announced on Thursday a master collaboration agreement to develop companion diagnostic tests for cancer.
The goal is to provide both lab-developed cancer tests for the US clinical market and distributable companion diagnostic test kits for the global market.
The companies will initially focus on collaborating with pharmaceutical partners to develop assays using next-generation sequencing workflows or Qiagen's Qiacuity digital PCR platform.
Myriad will leverage its CLIA-certified, CAP-accredited lab platform, assay development expertise, and commercial infrastructure for clinical sample testing, while Qiagen will provide expertise in sample preparation, PCR, digital PCR, next-gen sequencing, and the company's Digital Insights bioinformatics portfolio. Qiagen will also contribute its good manufacturing practices (GMP)-certified product manufacturing capabilities and global commercial channels.
Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.
Qiagen and Myriad are also considering future joint projects involving minimal residual disease (MRD) and homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) detection.
Myriad said it expects the partnership to drive further expansion of its oncology products.
Both Qiagen and Myriad have numerous ongoing partnerships with pharma, biotech, and academic institutions worldwide. Qiagen recently received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for a real-time PCR companion diagnostic to identify gastrointestinal cancer patients who may be eligible for treatment with Blueprint Medicines' Ayvakit (avapritinib).
Myriad recently partnered with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to assess the use of Myriad's MRD testing platform for predicting breast cancer treatment response.
"We are pleased to collaborate with Myriad, combining their expertise in complex and proprietary lab-developed tests with our proficiency in distributable kit-based solutions, to offer a comprehensive global companion diagnostic approach," Jonathan Arnold, Qiagen's VP and head of translational science and precision diagnostics, said in a statement.
"Our partnership with Qiagen creates a comprehensive companion diagnostic development and commercialization solution for our pharma partners that will support the advancement of cancer care and personalized treatment decisions for patients worldwide," said Paul Bartel, senior VP of companion diagnostics at Myriad Genetics.