Bristol-Myers Squibb and QIAGEN collaborate

Use of NGS Technology to Develop Gene Expression Profiles for Immuno-Oncology Therapies

07-Jun-2017 - Germany

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Qiagen have signed an agreement to explore the use of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology to develop gene expression profiles (GEPs) as  predictive or prognostic tools for  use with Bristol-Myers Squibb novel immuno-oncology (I-O) therapies in cancer treatment. This will leverage the combination of Bristol-Myers Squibb’s portfolio of I-O therapies with QIAGEN’s proven track record in developing and commercializing companion and complementary diagnostics as well as QIAGEN’s portfolio of NGS technologies. I-O therapies offer a novel way to treat cancer by using drugs to target the body’s immune system to help fight cancer.

QIAGEN and Bristol-Myers Squibb intend to develop GEPs for several Bristol-Myers Squibb I-O molecules under the initial agreement.  The companies also plan to enter into a further agreement to develop diagnostic products using the jointly developed GEPs to expand the use of NGS technology with other Bristol-Myers Squibb I-O therapies.

“Greater precision in the treatment of cancer may enable faster decision making to identify which patient populations are most likely to derive benefit from our immuno-oncology agents,” said Fouad Namouni, M.D., head of Development, Oncology, Bristol-Myers Squibb. “We believe working with QIAGEN will help develop better diagnostic tools to target the most appropriate immunotherapies across a number of different tumor types.”

“We are very pleased to work with Bristol-Myers Squibb to potentially create what could be the first-ever NGS-based companion or complementary diagnostic to provide key insights for personalized decision-making in the rapidly expanding area of immuno-oncology,” said Peer M. Schatz, Chief Executive Officer of QIAGEN.   “Our teams at QIAGEN are looking forward to working with Bristol-Myers Squibb to leverage the power of NGS technology to potentially improve outcomes for patients.”

QIAGEN and Bristol-Myers Squibb have been partnering since 2009. A key milestone in this partnership was the FDA approval of the Therascreen KRAS companion/complementary diagnostic assay in 2012.

Other news from the department business & finance

Most read news

More news from our other portals

Is artificial intelligence revolutionizing the life sciences?

See the theme worlds for related content

Topic world Diagnostics

Diagnostics is at the heart of modern medicine and forms a crucial interface between research and patient care in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries. It not only enables early detection and monitoring of disease, but also plays a central role in individualized medicine by enabling targeted therapies based on an individual's genetic and molecular signature.

10+ products
4 whitepaper
10+ brochures
View topic world

Topic world Diagnostics

Diagnostics is at the heart of modern medicine and forms a crucial interface between research and patient care in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries. It not only enables early detection and monitoring of disease, but also plays a central role in individualized medicine by enabling targeted therapies based on an individual's genetic and molecular signature.

10+ products
4 whitepaper
10+ brochures