Archer will develop and pursue regulatory approval for a companion diagnostic that will help find patients who may benefit from one of Merck's drug candidates.
The German drugmaker plans to advance the NSCLC treatment in parallel with tissue-based and liquid biopsy companion assays that can identify best responders.
The two companies have signed a new master collaboration agreement under which HTG will develop custom assays for use in earlier stages of Merck's drug development process.
The company said its proxy-CRISPR tool can facilitate precise gene editing and eliminates the need for genetic engineering of naturally occurring CRISPR proteins.
The moves underscore a growing belief in industry and academia that the cell-derived vesicles could be the biomarker of choice for next-generation tests and therapies.
The Oregon state Senate unanimously passed a bill that would make it easier for people convicted of crimes to initiate DNA testing of evidence, according to the Associated Press.
Florida state senators are to weigh a bill prohibiting life insurance companies from using genetic information in coverage decisions, according to Florida Politics.
In Genome Research this week: metagenomic sequencing assay that detects pathogens in cerebrospinal fluid, single-tube long fragment read approach, and more.
