NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Transplant Genomics has announced a collaboration with the Mayo Clinic to develop, validate, and commercialize diagnostic testing for solid organ transplant recipients.
Under the terms of the agreement the partners will perform a multi-year assessment of the firm's TruGraf test for renal transplant monitoring at Mayo campuses in Minnesota, Arizona, and Florida. They will also co-develop new tests for other types of organ and will launch exploratory studies of heart and liver transplantation monitoring.
"Genomic analysis of blood can reveal early signs of rejection in transplanted kidneys. The potential clinical utility is to be able to monitor for rejection more frequently than is possible with surveillance biopsies and to individualize immunosuppression in transplant recipients," Mayo investigator Mark Stegall said in a statement.
Mayo Clinic will also make an investment in Transplant Genomics for an undisclosed amount. Other details of the agreement were not disclosed.
Stegall will lead the study along with fellow Mayo Clinic Transplant Center researchers Raymond Heilman and Martin Mai.
The Mayo Clinic collaboration is just the latest in a string of deals for Transplant Genomics, which is looking to push its TruGraf test out into clinical studies. In December 2015, the firm granted early access to the test to California Pacific Medical Center, Henry Ford Health System, Houston Methodist Hospital, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In recent months, pharmaceutical firms Quark and Astellas have also signed collaboration deals with Transplant Genomics.