Avalon GloboCare Corp (NASDAQ:AVCO) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Lu Daopei Hematology Institute (LDHI) to co-develop precision companion diagnostics for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapies, the company announced.
LDHI is a hematology research institute based in Beijing developing precision diagnostics based on personalized genomic, proteomic, transcriptomic and metabolomic platforms. The strategic partnership is expected to expand Avalon’s R&D pipeline to include companion diagnostics in association with its ongoing and future cellular immunotherapy-related clinical programs.
A companion diagnostic is a medical device or test that provides personalized patient information that is essential for the safe and effective use of a highly tailored or targeted therapeutic treatment, the company said. This could help a health care professional understand whether the benefits of therapeutic treatment for a patient would outweigh any potential serious side effects or risks.
READ: Avalon GloboCare files 16 patent applications related to cellular therapies as company moves towards clinical trials
CAR T-cell therapies are personalized therapies made from a patient’s own cells, and many have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. CAR-T cell therapy involves the bio-engineering and expression of a molecular weapon to attack specific targets on cancer cells. A companion diagnostic could help predict whether a patient would respond to CAR-T cell therapy.
“LDHI will be an ideal partner that has the expertise and capabilities to conduct laboratory and analytic work on cancer biomarkers and precision medicine, as well as access to the clinical and bioinformatics database of the Lu Daopei Hospital,” Avalon CEO David Jin said in a statement.
Additionally, Avalon has appointed LDHI Executive President Hongxing Liu, an expert in precision diagnostics for hematologic malignancies, to its Scientific and Clinical Advisory Board, the company said.
“Companion diagnostics play an important role in developing effective therapies, by identifying those patients most likely to benefit from biomarker-driven treatments,” Liu said. “There is a need for better, faster ways to assess patients’ immune profiles to provide personalized immunotherapies. The companion diagnostics we are developing are designed to provide important information about the safe and effective use of a corresponding drug or biological product.
The deal between Avalon and LDHI is subject to negotiation and execution of definitive documentation acceptable to both parties, the company noted.
Contact Andrew Kessel at andrew.kessel@proactiveinvestors.com
Follow him on Twitter @andrew_kessel