Glycomics firm Ezose Biosciences said this week it has inked a collaboration agreement with Merck for biomarker discovery research in diabetes.
The research will focus on identifying changes in glycan patterns in human proteins using Ezose’s GlycanMap platform, the firm said, adding that the work follows on previous collaborations between the two companies.
GlycanMap uses an automated 96-well, bead-based glycan enrichment platform linked to MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry to identify and quantify glycans in biological samples like blood and tissue.
Financial and other terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Ezose also said today it has fully aligned its business with Shionogi's Diagnostics Division following its acquisition by the Japanese drugmaker.
As part of the alignment, Kiyoshi Nagata was named chairman and CEO of Ezose, replacing John Keller, who will continue to serve as a member of Ezose's board, and as president and CEO of Shionogi Inc., the US-based group company of Shionogi. Ezose was formed in 2009 as a US joint venture of Shionogi and Sumitomo Bakelite.
"The alignment of Ezose's biomarker discovery platform with our existing diagnostics and companion diagnostics development and commercialization capabilities provides a unique opportunity for both internal and partnership programs," Nagata said in a statement. "We are bringing the promise of glycomics for biomarkers and personalized medicine into practical use for accelerating drug development and enhancing medical practice."