NEW YORK ─ Life sciences firm Bayer and genomic analysis company ArcherDx on Thursday announced a global collaboration for the development and commercialization of a next-generation sequencing-based companion diagnostic test for Bayer's Vitrakvi (larotrectinib), which targets cancers with fusions in neurotrophic receptor tyrosine kinase (NTRK) genes.
The primary objective of the collaboration is to broaden patient access to comprehensive genomic testing that includes NTRK1, NTRK2, and NTRK3 gene fusions and to improve identification of appropriate treatment options for patients with TRK fusion cancer, the firms said.
Boulder, Colorado-based ArcherDx and Leverkusen, Germany-based Bayer said they anticipate seeking approval for the CDx in markets including the European Union, US, and Japan.
Financial and other terms of the collaboration were not disclosed.
The companion diagnostic test will allow local laboratories to provide referring physicians with potentially actionable genomic information so that appropriate patients can be matched to specific therapeutic options based on their genomic findings, the firms said.
"A kit-based CDx that is tumor agnostic and detects all NTRK gene fusions will enable high-quality genomic testing to be deployed in regional and community settings, where 85 percent of cancer patients receive care," Jason Myers, ArcherDx CEO and cofounder, said in a statement. "For these patients, our technology provides RNA-based profiling for the detection of actionable fusions across known and novel NTRK fusion partners."