July 1, 2021 – Sysmex Corporation (Kobe, Japan) announced it formed a global strategic alliance with QIAGEN N.V. (Hilden, Germany) for the development of cancer companion diagnostics.
Sysmex says it is working to strengthen its global relationship with pharmaceutical companies in order to develop companion diagnostics and launch them by capitalizing on Plasma-Safe-SeqS technology, a liquid biopsy developed by Sysmex using a next-generation sequencer (NGS), while leveraging QIAGEN’s experience in developing companion diagnostics.
Sysmex currently offers the “OncoBEAMTM5 RAS CRC Kit” as companion diagnostics for colorectal cancer. It uses digital PCR technology and is regulatory approved and covered by national insurance in Japan. Additionally, the liquid biopsy testing utilizing NGS is also being developed and offered via CRO service for pharmaceutical companies and research use only kits.
Sysmex’s global strategic alliance with QIAGEN is intended to promote early clinical implementation of ultra-sensitive liquid biopsy companion diagnostics using Plasma-Safe-SeqS technology by expediting field work with pharmaceutical companies that develop molecularly targeted drugs for cancer.
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.