Precision for Medicine Significantly Expands Berlin Lab as Demand For Immune Monitoring Continues to Grow
NEW STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY DRAMATICALLY INCREASES CAPACITY FOR CLINICAL TRIALS AND OFFERS CLIENTS FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND CELL PROFILING CAPABILITIES COMBINING EPIGENETICS AND FLOW CYTOMETRY
BERLIN, GERMANY – 27 NOVEMBER 2019 – Precision for Medicine, part of Precision Medicine Group, today announced that they have opened a new 1,600 m2 Berlin-based laboratory, for the first time combining its proprietary Epiontis ID™ epigenetic immune-monitoring technology with advanced flow cytometry capabilities, along with a full-service biorepository and cell processing laboratory. Focusing on the rapidly growing immuno-oncology and neuroimmunology markets, the new lab creates a 10-fold increase in Precision’s European capacity. In addition, the new dedicated facility boosts Precision’s full-time European workforce to well over 300 employees and bolsters its expanding clinical trials footprint that now includes offices in Edinburgh, Paris, Geneva, Budapest, Bucharest, Bratislava, and Belgrade and additional staff throughout Europe and the United Kingdom.
PRECISION FOR MEDICINE AND AKOYA PARTNER TO DEVELOP ADVANCED LIQUID BIOPSY AND TISSUE BIOMARKER TESTS
MENLO PARK, CA and HOUSTON, November 5, 2019 – Akoya Biosciences, The Spatial Biology Company™ today announced a strategic alliance with Precision for Medicine (formerly ApoCell), a pioneer in customized biomarker solutions, to develop proprietary liquid biopsy and tissue biomarker tests using Akoya’s Vectra® Polaris™ System. By combining the Vectra Polaris system with Precision for Medicine’s ApoStream® technology, the collaboration is designed to advance immuno-oncology candidates in clinical trials using both tumor biopsies and liquid biopsies to generate data required for assessing drug efficacy and validation of companion diagnostics (CDx).
“We are very excited to be the first commercial laboratory to launch the Vectra Polaris system for image analysis of circulating tumor cells following ApoStream’s isolation and enrichment functionality,” said Darren Davis, PhD, Precision for Medicine Senior Vice President. “Together, these technologies will enable accelerated drug development through detection of biomarkers in liquid biopsies. These tools have enabled our scientists to better understand the biological correlation of circulating metastatic cancer cells with cancer cells present in the tumor tissue.”
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have long been known to exist in cancer patients’ blood. However, the promise of clinical application of CTCs as a liquid biopsy has not born fruit because these cells are difficult to detect using current molecular biology techniques. Precision for Medicine’s proprietary ApoStream technology captures significant quantities of rare circulating cancer cells from whole blood for characterization using Akoya’s Opal™ technology and Vectra Polaris imaging platform. ApoStream has been used in more than 80 clinical trials, including several ongoing phase III studies for CDx development.
Akoya’s Vectra Polaris Automated Quantitative Pathology System, part of the company’s Phenoptics 2.0 next-generation biomarker multiplexing platform, enables researchers to gain a deeper level of understanding of disease mechanisms related to new cancer immunotherapy approaches. The Vectra Polaris system integrates high throughput, seven-color multispectral imaging with whole-slide scanning in a simplified digital pathology workflow to support the quantification and analysis of tissue sections discernible with Opal detection kits. A recent meta-analysis of several studies showed that incorporating spatial information using Akoya’s multiplexed immunofluorescence technology is important for improving the predictive accuracy of immuno-oncology biomarkers.
The Phenoptics™ portfolio is capable of interrogating multiple protein markers on any tissue or cytology slide preparation. Precision for Medicine has validated several immune biomarker panels across various therapeutic applications using both types of preparation. These immune panels are currently being used to monitor immune cell infiltration including cancer, psoriasis, lupus and atomic dermatitis.
“The Vectra Polaris imaging system offers an innovative approach to assessing immunotherapy candidates in translational and clinical research,” said Dr. Cliff Hoyt, Akoya Vice President of Translational and Scientific Affairs. “We are pleased to see this technology paired with ApoStream for a comprehensive method of imaging CTCs and improving our understanding of disease mechanisms in cancer.”
For more information on ApoCell and the ApoStream technology, please click here.
About Precision for Medicine
Precision for Medicine is the first biomarker-driven clinical research services organization supporting life sciences companies in the use of biomarkers essential to targeting patient treatments more precisely and effectively. Precision applies novel biomarker approaches to clinical research that take advantage of the latest advancements in science and technology, focusing predominantly on genomics, immune-response assays, global specimen logistics, biomarker analytics, companion diagnostics, and clinical trial execution. Precision for Medicine is part of Precision Medicine Group, with more than 1,900 employees in 34 locations in the US, Canada, and Europe. For more information, visit www.PrecisionForMedicine.com.
About Akoya
Akoya Biosciences, The Spatial Biology Company™, offers the most comprehensive, end-to-end solutions for high-parameter tissue analysis from discovery through clinical and translational research, enabling the development of more precise therapies for immuno-oncology and other drug development applications. The company has two industry-leading platforms that empower investigators and researchers to gain a deeper understanding of complex diseases such as cancer, and other immune system or neurological disorders. The CODEX® system is the only benchtop platform that can efficiently quantify more than 40 biomarkers and is ideally suited for biomarker discovery. The Phenoptics™ platform is the only end-to-end multiplexed immunofluorescence solution with the robustness and high throughput necessary for translational research and clinical trials. For more information, please visit https://www.akoyabio.com/.
Media Contact – Precision for Medicine
Louis Landon, Precision Medicine Group Media Relations
310-984-7707
louis.landon@precisionformedicine.com
Media Contact – Akoya
Michelle Linn, Bioscribe, Inc.
774-696-3803
michelle@bioscribe.com
Precision for Medicine launches biospecimen solutions offering with acquisition of ProMedDx and GLAS
ADDITION OF LEADING SUPPLIERS BOLSTERS PRECISION’S BIOMARKER SERVICE OFFERINGS– BRINGING UNPARALLELED SCIENCE, SCALE, AND SERVICE TO THE BIOSPECIMEN INDUSTRY
BETHESDA, MD – August 1, 2019 – Precision for Medicine, part of Precision Medicine Group, announced it has acquired leading biospecimen providers ProMedDx and GLAS, significantly expanding its capabilities and expertise in the biospecimen solutions space. With the acquisitions, Precision now offers an unmatched level of scientific understanding, high-quality specimen solutions, and global scale.
The addition of ProMedDx and GLAS establishes an unrivaled biospecimen solutions platform within Precision, which operates one of the largest biorepositories in the world. ProMedDx is known throughout the diagnostics industry for its high-quality biofluid specimens, while GLAS is a leader in tissue-based samples. With an expanded sourcing network and client base, along with an enhanced global laboratory infrastructure, Precision can effectively leverage its unique insight as a scientific solutions provider to supply clients with hand-selected, fit-for-purposes specimens for R&D, biomarker development, and companion diagnostics.
Precision for Medicine is the first biomarker-driven clinical development organization supporting life sciences companies in the use of biomarkers essential to targeting patient treatments more precisely and effectively. Combining two world-class biospecimen organizations, across all specimen types, Precision further enhances its abilities to enable life science innovators with scientifically robust services to accelerate the pace of discovery, development, and commercialization of biomarkers.
ProMedDx is led by founders Jim Boushell and Jim Sperzel; GLAS is led by founder and pathologist Cullen Taylor, MD.
Commenting on the significance of the acquisitions, Precision for Medicine president Chad Clark explains, “We believe in the power of biomarkers to lead to novel, life-changing therapies, and we remain dedicated to providing unmatched, scientifically grounded global services. By bringing ProMedDx and GLAS into the Precision family, we are proud to offer unparalleled, global biospecimens solutions while also expanding our footprint in the exploding Massachusetts and North Carolina biotechnology sectors.”
In describing Precision’s unique capabilities, ProMedDx co-founder Jim Boushell comments, “Precision’s reputation as an expert in biomarker sciences is a real differentiator. Having been in the specimen industry for over 20 years, I can attest there are no other companies that possess Precision’s level of scientific understanding or breadth of solutions. We are thrilled to be joining Precision and leveraging its translational and scientific expertise to deliver the highest-quality solutions to the biopharmaceutical and diagnostic industry.”
Cullen Taylor, MD of GLAS adds, ”Clearly, the life sciences industry relies heavily upon medical and scientific insight. However, this expertise is often in short supply in biospecimen provision. It’s why we founded GLAS. By teaming up with Precision, we are able to expand this on-the-ground medical expertise to a highly advanced and expansive lab and clinical network—a hugely important distinction in the biospecimen industry.”
About Precision for Medicine
Precision for Medicine supports life sciences companies in the use of biomarkers essential to targeting patient treatments more precisely and effectively. Precision applies novel biomarker approaches to clinical research that take advantage of the latest advancements in science and technology, focusing predominantly on genomics, immune-response assays, global specimen logistics, biomarker analytics, companion diagnostics, and clinical trial execution. Precision for Medicine is part of Precision Medicine Group, with nearly 2,000 employees in 34 locations in the US, Canada, and Europe. For more information, visit precisionformedicine.com. For more information about our biospecimen solutions, visit precisionbiospecimens.com.
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Media Contact:
Louis Landon, Precision Medicine Group Media Relations
310-984-7707
louis.landon@precisionmedicinegrp.com
QuartzBio™, part of Precision for Medicine, Expands Computational Biology and Launches Boston Office
MM&M Hall of Femme 2019 Honors Carolyn Morgan
We are excited to share that Carolyn Morgan, president of Precisioneffect, will be inducted into the MM&M Hall of Femme. This program honors honor standout U.S. healthcare commercial executives who have made a significant impact on their organization’s success in the past year.