- Diaceutics collaborating with HistoCyte Laboratories and Targos Molecular Pathology on world’s first diagnostic network for precision medicine, DXRX
- Partnerships will drive diagnostic testing standardization for a network of more than 2,500 labs worldwide
- First pilot of partnership focusing on PD-L1 testing which still lacks standardization globally
- DXRX – The Diagnostic Network™ to enable marketplace where labs, pharma and diagnostic companies collaborate with trusted partners to unlock the promise of precision medicines
Parsippany, NJ, July 14 2020 – Diaceutics PLC, (AIM: DXRX), today announces key partnerships on its DXRX platform, the world’s first diagnostic network for precision medicine, which will drive the global standardization of diagnostic testing. Targos Molecular Pathology and HistoCyte Laboratories will join Diaceutics’ network of partners to enable the rollout of a global marketplace for labs later this year.
Diaceutics research, published in its Pharma PM Readiness Report 2019, found that globally, 74% of oncology biomarker testing is carried out using laboratory-developed tests (LDTs). As a result, most testing for precision medicines is not standardized and maybe susceptible to inaccuracies. Diaceutics’ partnerships with Targos and HistoCyte will help to drive the standardization required to streamline testing and ensure every patient gets the treatment they deserve, when they need it. They will collaborate with a global network of stakeholders on DXRX, an end-to-end solution for the development and commercialization of precision medicine diagnostics, which places the laboratory at the center of the precision medicine ecosystem. The first pilot of the partnership has been launched and is focusing on PD-L1 testing.
With the support of its team of more than 100 pathologists and scientists, Targos Molecular Pathology validates and applies predictive biomarkers in international clinical trials to the highest quality level. As a network partner to DXRX, Targos will provide laboratories with its Targos Advance Expert training and quality assurance support – along with comparison studies and RING studies – as part of DXRX’s end-to-end service offering. In doing so, Targos will enable laboratories to benchmark their performance against other laboratories and ensure that every patient receives the same quality of testing.
HistoCyte Laboratories develops and manufactures a range of standardized analyte controls for use in immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescence in-situ hybridisation (FISH) tests. By joining the DXRX network, HistoCyte will help laboratories to standardize and evaluate the performance of their IHC and FISH assays by providing them with single slide control materials.
Diaceutics research has found that a lack of standardized testing practices, accompanied by a lack of investment in diagnostic testing, is leading to average lag time of 4.5 years between the launch of a new oncology drug and the widespread availability of its companion diagnostic test. However, HistoCyte’s standardized, cost-efficient solution, which will be customized according to regulatory-approved biomarker assays and with hands-on support for implementation – combined with Targos’s insights, training and quality assurance support – will reduce this lag. The partnerships will streamline the development of diagnostic tests and accelerate their speed to market, therefore ensuring the successful launch and uptake of pharmaceutical companies’ new precision medicine drugs.
Gudrun Baenfer, Head of Targos Advance Training & Consulting Division, said: “Since 2005, Targos is vigorously pursuing a high level of international standardization for biomarker analysis. An important part of this has become the Targos Advance Expert Training program, which has been performed for more than 4,000 pathologists. We are excited to join Diaceutics in its effort to realize the full potential of precision medicine through standardization and training.”
Colin Tristram, Co-founder and Director at HistoCyte said: “It is a very exciting project to be involved in, working with and alongside much respected people and brands in the pathology market. We are united by the same passion in quality control and delivery of the best service to patients. We at HistoCyte Laboratories are looking forward to working alongside our colleagues within the Diagnostic Network.”
Karina Hjort, Senior Director, Innovation at Diaceutics, said: “Too many patients are still missing out on getting the right treatment at the right time due to inefficiencies in the testing ecosystem. These partnerships will enable the diagnostic testing standardization and training support needed at a global level to make precision medicine treatments accessible to every patient.
“For the last 10 years, Diaceutics has been building collaborations with industry-leading service providers in areas such as pathology training, health economics, reference standards, EQA and digital enablement to solve today’s broken testing ecosystem. These will all converge on DXRX, with the laboratory at the center of the network. We will arm labs with the tools, training and support that they need in real-time, to be ready for biomarker drug launches coming to market. We are delighted to have HistoCyte and Targos on board as global leaders in their field and look forward to announcing more collaborations that will enable precision medicines to transform healthcare and patient outcomes.
We are delighted to commence our first DXRX pilot collaboration on the PD-L1 biomarker which still suffers from a lack of global standardization despite the reliance of multiple billion dollar cancer treatments on this biomarker. Among these are life-saving treatments for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, metastatic melanoma and bladder cancer.
Targos and HistoCyte’s services will be made available via this pilot collaboration to a select number of laboratories within Diaceutics’ network of over 2,500 labs. The lab network will have access to DXRX services such as on-slide controls, training and coaching free of charge.
DXRX enables a vibrant marketplace where Labs, Pharma and Diagnostic companies come to find trusted partners and collaborations on projects in a standardized way. The Network will launch in Q4, 2020. For more information visit https://dxrx.diaceutics.com/index.html
