NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Belgian molecular diagnostics firm Biocartis announced today that it has partnered with Bristol-Myers Squibb to develop a companion diagnostic for a number of cancer immunotherapies, with an initial focus on colorectal cancer (CRC).
Under the terms of the deal, the companies will jointly develop and register Biocartis' recently CE marked Idylla MSI test — which provides information on the microsatellite instability status of a CRC tumor from a single slice of FFPE tumor tissue and without requiring a reference sample — for use in a variety of indications, commercial settings, and markets.
Biocartis said that the initial focus of the collaboration will be on securing US Food and Drug Administration clearance of Idylla MSI as a companion diagnostic in metastatic CRC. New York City-based Bristol-Myers Squibb currently markets an Opdivo (nivolumab) plus low-dose Yervoy (ipilimumab) cocktail that is approved in the US for MSI-high or mismatch repair deficient metastatic CRC that has progressed following treatment with certain chemotherapeutics.
Additional terms were not disclosed.
Earlier this month, Biocartis said it was expanding its presence in oncology through a planned series of immunotherapy and liquid biopsy assays on the Idylla platform.