Biocartis launches partnership in liquid biopsy

Under the terms of the agreement, Biocartis and he UK-based medical research charity MRCT will jointly develop molecular diagnostic tests for use on the automated PCR platform Idylla. For each selected test, MRCT will act as a development contractor, whereas Biocartis will be responsible for the commercialisation of the tests under its own label. Financial details of the partnership were not disclosed.

The first test to be developed under the partnership is a liquid biopsy test aimed at monitoring of metastatic breast cancer patients for resistance to hormone therapy. Biocartis said this was an important first step in the breast cancer menu the company is developing, and had a clear strategic fit within its focus on liquid biopsy testing.

Erwin Sablon, Head of R&D and Alliance Management at Biocartis, commented: “MRCT has an experienced team in place and we are confident that together we can successfully develop a range of high quality tests for the Idylla platform, beginning with this first test for breast cancer.”

Within its melanoma and colorectal cancer menu, Biocartis already launched three liquid biopsy assays (for research use only), detecting a large set of actionable mutations directly from 1 ml of blood plasma each. The fourth liquid biopsy assay, the Idylla ctEGFR Mutation Assay, adding to Biocartis’ lung cancer test menu, is expected to be launched in the second half of 2017.