NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Enpicom and Cytura Therapeutics have partnered to develop a diagnostic assay for early cancer detection, the Netherlands-based companies announced on Wednesday.
Enpicom develops biomedical software including its recently launched ImmunoGenomiX platform for immune sequencing data analysis, while Cytura is developing cancer drugs targeting genomic instability.
Under the alliance, which is being supported with an unspecified amount of funding from the Dutch government, the companies will use sequencing- and machine learning-based methods to quantify genomic instability-causing mutations in blood cells. The mutations will be the basis for a future diagnostic test.
Additional details were not disclosed.
"Genomic instability is the main driving force of cancer initiation, development, and therapy resistance," Cytura CEO Ad van Gorp said in a statement. "The R&D partnership will make early detection of genomic instability possible, enabling early diagnosis and interference with the compounds of Cytura."
Earlier this year, Enpicom partnered with molecular diagnostics laboratory DDL to develop an immune repertoire sequencing and analysis service. About a year ago, the company and collaborator Glycostem Therapeutics received Dutch government funding to develop technology for predicting cancer patient response to immunotherapy.