Date: 2015-03-10
Type of information: Collaboration agreement
Compound: next-generation sequencing-based oncology diagnostic for clinical trials of targeted cancer therapies
Company: Merck KGaA, Merck Serono (Germany) Illumina (USA - CA)
Therapeutic area: Cancer - Oncolog
Type agreement: collaboration development
Action mechanism:
Disease:
Details: * On March 10, 2015, Merck Serono, the biopharmaceutical business of Merck, and Illumina announced a collaboration to expand the development of a universal next-generation sequencing-based oncology diagnostic for clinical trials of targeted cancer therapies.
Under the terms of the agreement, Merck Serono and Illlumina will work together to develop assays that detect and simultaneously measure multiple genetic variants in a single tumor sample in a clinical trial setting. Illumina’s successful regulatory track record
was an important consideration in the collaboration, as next-generation sequencing platforms cleared by a regulatory agency could accelerate the development of an assay and facilitate the registration of a companion diagnostic. The collaboration will include development of the diagnostic, worldwide regulatory approvals, and global commercialization.
This collaboration complements Merck Serono’s existing partnerships in the area of diagnostics, including Life Technologies and Dako, allowing Merck Serono to choose from a wide variety of technologies in implementing a precision medicine strategy.
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