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Quark to Use Transplant Genomics Kidney Transplant Test in Clinical Study

NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Transplant Genomics (TGI) and Quark Pharmaceuticals announced today that they have signed a deal to use Transplant's TruGraf post-kidney transplant blood test to evaluate patients in a Phase III trial of Quark's RNAi-based treatment for delayed graft function (DGF).

The drug, QPI-1002, is designed to silence expression of the stress-response gene p53 in order to prevent delayed graft function resulting from ischemia-reperfusion injury in kidney transplant patients. TruGraf analyzes gene expression patterns in blood to detect early signs of acute transplant rejection. 

Under the terms of their deal, Quark will use the TruGraf test to monitor patient responses to QPI-1002, as well as gene expression in immune response injury pathways following kidney transplantation. Quark also aims to use the test to explore whether genomic profiling can predict longer-term post-transplant patient outcomes to be used in the development of surrogate clinical endpoints.

"This study could highlight an additional use of [our] core technology beyond the diagnostic testing we are currently commercializing," Transplant Genomics CMO Roy First said in a statement. 

Late last year, Transplant Genomics announced that the TruGraf test was accepted for use by four transplant centers under an early-access program.

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