US-based medical device company BD has joined forces with Quest Diagnostics to develop, manufacture, and commercialise flow cytometry-based companion diagnostics (CDx).
Quest Diagnostics, through its BioPharma services business, offers end-to-end solutions for drug development, including clinical trial lab testing, and companion diagnostic development.
The partnership aims to provide the pharmaceutical industry with an end-to-end solution for CDx development.
Under the collaboration, BD and Quest will jointly develop an exploratory panel in addition to manufacturing and distributing FDA-approved diagnostic kits.
BD biosciences worldwide president Steve Conly said: “BD has been at the forefront of flow cytometry innovation for a half-century, consistently leading advancements in this critical field.
“Our collaboration with Quest underscores a shared commitment to advance personalised medicine by leveraging this technology in the development of companion diagnostics to be used alongside therapeutic options for patients.”
According to BD, companion diagnostics play a crucial role in selecting first-line therapies for cancer patients to ensure optimal outcomes and cost savings.
Current CDx tests use immunohistochemistry (IHC), fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), next-generation sequencing (NGS), and imaging technologies.
Flow cytometry is an established technology currently used for developing companion diagnostics, which enables rapid analysis and sorting of individual cells.
The technology allows healthcare providers to understand an individual’s immune response and manage patient care to improve clinical outcomes, said BD.
Quest Diagnostics pharma services vice president and general manager William Finger said: “This strategic collaboration with BD will combine our expertise in developing and validating biomarkers and assays with BD’s leadership in flow cytometry to offer a fully integrated solution on a larger scale.
“Together, we can bring novel companion diagnostics to market that will enable more precise health care, to potentially improve patient outcomes and reduce health care costs.”
Last month, BD agreed to acquire Edwards Lifesciences’ Critical Care product business, which advances patient monitoring with AI-based algorithms for $4.2bn in cash.
