US-based diagnostic firm HTG Molecular Diagnostics and Japanese pharmaceutical company Daiichi Sankyo have entered into a master service agreement to develop diagnostic tests at the former's VERI/O laboratory.
Initially, the firms will work towards developing a custom assay, using the HTG EdgeSeq technology, to detect approximately 3,000 mRNA targets.
Introduced in 2014, the line of HTG EdgeSeq products are developed to automate samples and target library preparation necessary for next-generation sequencing.
New custom assay will be utilised to produce data from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples.
Data will then be used by Daiichi Sankyo for the identification of a tumour profiling assay for upcoming studies included in the agreement.
HTG president and chief executive officer TJ Johnson said: “We appreciate the confidence Daiichi Sankyo has shown in our HTG EdgeSeq technology and VERI/O laboratory by entering into the master services agreement.
"We are excited to support their important research objectives and the ultimate goal of identifying diagnostic tests that better target therapies for improved patient response.
“Development work for the initial project is already underway in our laboratory.”
In addition to the assay development, HTG will process several hundred FFPE samples for Daiichi Sankyo.
Intended for exploratory research on new, potential therapeutic biomarkers, the sample processing will leverage the HTG EdgeSeq ALK Plus Assay EU in a research use only mode.
