NEW YORK (360Dx) – Breath diagnostics firm Owlstone Medical today announced GSK will use its Breath Biopsy platform in a clinical development program evaluating the efficacy of a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease drug candidate.
GSK will use Owlstone's platform in a Phase II clinical trial to assess whether the right treatment for the right patient can be identified, as well as the effectiveness of the pharmaceutical firm's drug candidate called danirixin. The Breath Biopsy platform will be used to capture volatile organic compounds (VOC) in breath completely noninvasively and analyze them with high sensitivity, Owlstone said. Breath samples will be collected from patients using Owlstone's ReCIVA Breath Sampler, then shipped to the firm's clinical lab for analysis.
The Breath Biopsy platform analyzes biomarkers from breath, which Ownstone said contains a "rich spectrum" of VOCs produced by the body's metabolism relating directly to disease activity. When analyzed, the biomarkers could provide information for patient stratification, the UK-based firm said. About 329 million people worldwide have COPD, and another 235 million people have asthma, it added.
Owlstone Cofounder and CEO Billy Boyle said in a statement that the company intends to "work with pharmaceutical partners looking to optimize the health economic impact of their new medicines across a broad range of diseases by providing access to the data needed to ensure that the right therapy is given to the right patient as the right time."