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 US National Institutes of Health's All of Us project awarded $4.6 million to the company Color to develop a genetic counseling resource for the program.
