Oncimmune Holdings PLC (AIM:ONC) said its ImmunoINSIGHTS operation had landed a further contract under a master services agreement with an unnamed top-five global pharma company.
It has been given the task of profiling people with chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU), a skin condition that is also sometimes referred to as ‘hives’.
It can be the result of an allergic reaction to food or drugs, though in some cases the cause is unknown.
Oncimmune’s ImmunoINSIGHTS team will profile the Immunoglobulin G autoantibodies present in the patients under scrutiny.
Doing this prior to and after treatment will allow researchers to assess whether these particular biomarkers can better characterise the disease.
This in turn could lead to the classification or ‘stratification’ of patients for response to the therapy, the company said.
The study will also uncover insights to support the clinical development of a therapeutic for CIU, it added.
“This contract, along with others previously announced and other unannounced contracts, further demonstrates the growing commercial momentum behind our ImmunoINSIGHTS platform,” said Oncimmune chief executive Adam Hill.
No financial details were provided.
In the same announcement, investors were told the company has taken an office at the Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC) in Boston, which will be the new base for its chief business officer, Cameron Barnard.
“The establishment of an office at CIC will facilitate more efficient business development interactions for our North American clients,” said CEO Hill.