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 Merck KGaA subsidiary is launching the research-use only SMCxPRO later this year for protein detection using sandwich ELISAs paired with proprietary optical readout.
The company signed separate agreements with AstraZeneca, Merck, Merck KGaA, and Pfizer to create the panel, which is expected to help speed drug development.
