CAP TODAY Pathology/Laboratory Medicine/Laboratory Management
January 2020—Qiagen announced a series of agreements that expand its immuno-oncology assets for future commercialization of novel companion diagnostics, in particular based on next-generation sequencing technology. The agreements include a collaboration with Tokyo-based Repertoire Genesis that will provide access to novel technologies for the development of T-cell/B-cell receptor repertoire assays for use on NGS systems.
The company entered into a licensing agreement with researchers at the University of Bonn, Germany, for novel epigenomic biomarkers based on immune checkpoint gene methylation, including CTLA4, PD-L1, and PD1, with rights to co-develop predictive companion diagnostics. In a second licensing agreement, Qiagen has gained exclusive access to biomarker intellectual property held by German diagnostic company Stratifyer Molecular Pathology that is intended to provide guidance for treatment decisions in bladder cancer.