Abstract
Exosome Diagnostics, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based biotechnology company, announced in February a new partnership with Merck KGaA.
Through their new agreement, Exosome will give Merck access to its proprietary diagnostic technology platforms for both nucleic acids and proteins in order to advance drug development in a variety of therapeutic areas, including oncology. This includes Exosome’s recently launched Shahky, a liquid biopsy instrument that can capture and detect disease-specific exosomes from plasma and quantitatively assess relevant proteins.
Exosomes contain RNA, DNA, and proteins, and they are secreted by almost all cells into biofluids, including blood, cerebrospinal fluid, and urine. Because they are present across a variety of diseases, including cancer, inflammatory disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases, exosomes are a useful target for molecular profiling.
“The ability to interrogate RNA in blood can enable minimally invasive testing of broader biomarker panels, both at baseline and during therapy,” said Jürgen Scheuenpflug, Ph.D., global head of clinical biomarkers and companion diagnostics at Merck.
“We are excited to bring first of its kind technologies, such as Shahky, to our partners,” Mario Morken, head of business development for Exosome Diagnostics, said in a statement. “The Shahky instrument represents a disruptive technology for drug development and ultimately the clinic.” According to Exosome, Shahky was tested and validated at an undisclosed “leading Boston hospital” this January.
“These new technologies enable less invasive and longitudinal biomarker assessments which [can] inform combination strategies and patient selection,” Dr. Scheuenpflug told Clinical OMICs. “The most exciting aspect of this partnership is that the interrogation of RNA from blood can provide competitive advantages for Merck as well as a more comprehensive understanding of tumor biology.”
Shahky, Exosome’s recently launched liquid biopsy instrument, is named for its unique profile—think “Sharky” pronounced with a Boston accent.
