Clinical diagnostics company SomaLogic signed a licensing agreement with biotechnology firm OncoHost for personalised cancer therapy.
Under the agreement, OncoHost will license SomaLogic’s SomaScan platform to develop proteomics tests for its PROphet diagnostic system and provide treatment resistance tactics.
SomaLogic Healthcare and Diagnostics executive vice president Todd Johnson said: “Proteomics is a powerful tool in the fight against cancer, and this agreement demonstrates the immense value of SomaScan’s assay capabilities to aid in diagnostic testing.
“We are excited to bring SomaLogic’s significant experience in utilising proteomics to develop clinical diagnostics to this new partnership with OncoHost, enabling personalised cancer therapy.”
As part of the arrangement, OncoHost will open a facility in North Carolina where it will use the SomaScan Assay kits to detect protein levels in patient samples.
The firm will also leverage the SomaScan platform to create its own laboratory-developed tests that will enable clinicians to make treatment decisions earlier in a patient’s disease progression and notify choices for alternative treatments.
SomaLogic has developed 20 SomaSignal tests for cardiovascular disease, metabolic health and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), with plans to expand to 30 tests this year.
Cancer researchers are now using the SomaScan Platform to investigate variations in plasma protein levels in cancer patients.
SomaLogic said that its SomaScan platform can run 7,000 protein measurements on a single 55 microliter plasma or serum sample
The company expects that the platform will be able to measure 10,000 proteins in 2023. To date, SomaLogic has run more than 450,000 samples.
OncoHost CEO Dr Ofer Sharon said: “It is a pleasure to collaborate with a strong industry partner to deliver on the most pressing issue in oncology today – resistance to cancer treatment.
“SomaLogic’s expertise in proteomics adds immense value to our cutting-edge AI-based host response platform, allowing us to identify patterns that are predictive of patient response. Enabling personalised cancer treatment planning is no longer just a dream.”
