With an extensive pipeline focused on DDR and strategic partnerships with global pharmaceutical companies, Artios has chosen ANGLE to develop immunofluorescence (IF) assays using the Parsortix system
Artios Pharma to use ANGLE technology in cancer clinical trial. (Credit: National Cancer Institute on Unsplash)
ANGLE, a liquid biopsy firm, announced that Artios Pharma (Artios), its first client for assay development, has inked a new contract to use two DNA Damage Response assays developed by ANGLE in an upcoming Phase 1 clinical trial.
Artios is a biotech company in the clinical stage that pioneers the development of small molecule therapeutics targeting the DNA Damage Response (DDR) process to treat a wide range of cancers.
With an extensive pipeline focused on DDR and strategic partnerships with global pharmaceutical companies, Artios has chosen ANGLE to develop immunofluorescence (IF) assays using the Parsortix system. These assays aim to detect two specific biomarkers expressed on circulating tumour cells (CTCs) and determine the level of DNA damage within a cell.
While these biomarkers can be observed in tumour tissue, the availability of biopsy material is limited and cannot be repeated. Therefore, the use of CTCs obtained through liquid biopsy provides an alternative method to assess DNA damage.
Artios will employ longitudinal monitoring of biomarker expression in CTCs harvested using the Parsortix system to evaluate the pharmacodynamic effects and treatment response to new DDR drugs. The successful development of these DDR assays, achieving high levels of sensitivity and specificity, was a technically challenging and significant accomplishment.
Artios will now incorporate these two assays into a Phase 1 clinical trial, set to commence shortly and expected to conclude by the end of 2024.
ANGLE anticipates that these assays may also be used in larger, later-stage clinical trials for the same compound and potentially for additional compounds in Artios’ pipeline. ANGLE can provide this CTC solution to the increasing number of drug developers investigating the DDR pathway in their trials.
Currently, there are approximately 105 drugs targeting the DDR pathway in development, with 123,000 patients enrolled in active clinical trials (clinicaltrials.gov). The global value of DDR therapeutics was estimated at US$3.5 billion in 2020, and it is projected to reach US$24.8 billion by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.3%.
ANGLE founder and CEO Andrew Newland said: “We are delighted to have successfully developed these high-performance assays for Artios, a leader in the fast-growing field of DDR therapeutics.
“This new contract for clinical trial services again represents significant repeat business from an existing customer and we believe there is potential to expand the relationship further.
“These new assays also provide an important addition to our pharma services menu where our unique solution has already generated a high level of interest from new potential customers.”