Agilent Technologies has teamed up with spatial biology company Akoya Biosciences to develop and commercialise multiplex-immunohistochemistry diagnostic solutions for tissue analysis.
Under the collaboration, Agilent will integrate its auto-staining instrument Dako Omnis with Akoya’s imaging platform PhenoImager HT.
The integration will enable multiplex chromogenic immunohistochemistry (mIHC) and immunofluorescent (mIF) assays, and a single commercial workflow, which includes reagents, staining, imaging, and analysis.
Agilent diagnostic and genomics group president Sam Raha said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Akoya to create industry-leading products and services for multiplex chromogenic and immunofluorescence tissue assays.
“This partnership enables an ecosystem that assists the development of novel precision cancer therapeutics and offers a streamlined workflow to our joint customers in the clinical research market to meet the needs of future clinical diagnostics.”
The collaboration aims to develop an end-to-end multiplex solution for biomarker clinical research enabled by digital pathology, providing capabilities across the pharma value chain.
It will combine Agilent’s expertise in companion diagnostic and IHC workflow, install base of Dako Omnis instruments, and a strong network of pharma partners, with Akoya’s install base of imagers, spatial analysis expertise, and CLIA lab capabilities.
Agilent and Akoya will jointly develop chromogenic and immunofluorescent multiplex assays that include spatial analysis for companies developing precision cancer therapeutics.
The assays will help researchers and medical professionals to meet the patient selection needs of novel therapeutics and quickly advance their discoveries to clinical testing.
Under a separate agreement, Akoya Biosciences is responsible for distributing and reselling Agilent’s Dako Omnis instrument, as a part of the multiplex solution.
Akoya Biosciences CEO Brian McKelligon said: “Multiplex tissue analysis has the potential to transform the field of cancer therapeutics and usher in a new era of precision pathology.
“This partnership and the combined strength of both organisations will catalyse the development and deployment of multiplex tissue-based biomarkers for the benefit of our biopharma and CRO partners and, ultimately, patients.”
