NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Cancer Genetics (CGI) announced today that it has signed an agreement to provide target identification and biomarker discovery services to cancer drug developer BeiGene.
BeiGene currently has several clinical-stage oncology drugs under development — both as monotherapies and in combination regimens — including ones targeting Bruton's tyrosine kinase, the immune checkpoint receptor PD-1, and the PARP family of proteins.
Under the terms of the deal, CGI will provide BeiGene with biomarker and central laboratory services for clinical trials of these three therapeutic candidates in order to identify patient subsets and help speed the drugs to market.
Additional terms were not disclosed.
"Our collaboration with CGI and their expertise in comprehensive biomarker profiling will enable in-depth understanding of tumor immune infiltration in cancer patients, with the goal of identifying promising drug combinations for future development," Lai Wang, head of discovery biomarkers at BeiGene, said in a statement. "With CGI's support in novel assay development and clinical trial services, BeiGene aims to expand the current understanding of the tumor microenvironment and develop next-generation cancer treatments."