NEW YORK – Agilent Technologies and biopharma firm Transcenta have inked a deal for Agilent to develop a companion diagnostic for use in a clinical trial of a treatment of locally advanced or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma, Transcenta said on Monday.
The Suzhou, China-based firm said that the companion diagnostic will be used to support a global Phase III clinical trial of the monoclonal antibody osemitamab in combination with Bristol Myers Squibb's Opdivo (nivolumab) and chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for patients with Claudin18.2 (CLDN18.2)-expressing tumors.
Santa Clara, California-based Agilent has been developing an immunohistochemistry assay, Claudin18.2 IHC 14G11 PharmDx, for the detection of CLDN18.2 in gastric and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma. Transcenta has developed a monoclonal antibody that binds to the CLDN18.2 protein, as well as a binding site that overlaps with the binding site of therapeutic antibody osemitamab.
The assay will be used to aid patient selection in the Phase III trial.
"This partnership with Transcenta will further pave the way for enhanced precision medicine products for those with gastric and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma and continue transforming diagnostics, treatments, and patient health outcomes," Paul Beresford, Agilent's vice president and general manager of companion diagnostics, said in a statement.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.