Moderna Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:MRNA) has teamed up with Texas-headquartered private precision medicine and molecular science firm Caris Life Sciences for a multi-year partnership to advance mRNA-based oncology therapeutics.
The companies said Tuesday that through this strategic agreement, Moderna will leverage Caris’ library of de-identified, multi-modal data solutions derived from whole exome sequencing, whole transcriptome sequencing and protein analyses along with claims data to enhance development strategies for Moderna's oncology pipeline, including by optimizing clinical trial design, discovering novel biomarkers, and characterizing resistance mechanisms.
Caris has cultivated the largest clinico-genomic database coupled with cognitive computing to unravel the molecular complexity of disease and was the first to provide Whole Exome Sequencing DNA coverage and Whole Transcriptome Sequencing RNA coverage for every patient, the companies highlighted.
"Partnering with Caris Life Sciences will support Moderna's oncology portfolio with clinico-genomics data from Caris' industry-leading and comprehensive suite of integrated precision medicine capabilities," Moderna’s Vice President, Oncology Therapeutic Area Head Dr. Praveen Aanur said in a statement.
Caris president Dr. David Spetzler added: "The aggregate strength of our combined molecular, data science and therapeutics technologies will support the predictive modelling of patient responses to therapies, and more generally, may help improve the probability of technical and regulatory success of Moderna's innovative medicines."
Moderna’s shares traded higher on news of the partnership, up 3.2% at US$81.80 in early trade on Tuesday.
Also buoying the stock was Moderna’s announcement that it has dosed its first patient in its Phase 3 study of its combined influenza and COVID-19 vaccine mRNA-1083.
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