NEW YORK ─ Spatial biology firm Ultivue said Wednesday that it is collaborating with German AI firm Aignostics to develop spatial multiplexed biomarker tools for translational and pharma research.
Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Ultivue and Berlin-based Aignostics have entered a comarketing agreement to offer a codeveloped multiplex immunofluorescence platform to their biotech and pharma clients.
The platform, which they will offer initially for research use only with a GCP-compliant version to follow later in 2022, combines Ultivue's biomarker panels with Aignostics image analysis capabilities. The companies have conducted proof-of-concept work using the platform to measure Ultivue's 12-plex Immunophenotyping biomarker panel in more than 1,000 non-small cell lung cancer cases.
The companies will also partner on products to standardize analysis on certain Ultivue products with the goal of making them more suitable for clinical trials and clinical applications.
"We are excited to extend our workflow offering to include [multiplex immunofluorescence] AI for highly automated image analysis by partnering with Aignostics," Florian Leiss, VP of digital health at Ultivue, said in a statement. "Improved viewing capabilities enable us to interactively explore the interplay of mIF-labeled cell populations in the histological context of same-slide H&E."
"We believe that development of Ultivue’s assays with our AI-powered image analysis will create insights from data at scale that are unprecedented in spatial biology today. We are excited to start offering this approach to our clients for translational science and clinical trials,” Viktor Matyas, CEO of Aignostics, said in a statement.
Financial and other terms of the agreement were not disclosed.