MedTrust, Avantra collaborate to develop molecular diagnostic assay for cancer care

Feb 22 2011

MedTrust Online (MedTrust) and Avantra Biosciences (Avantra) announced today a novel collaboration to involve clinicians in the earliest stages of molecular diagnostic assay development for Avantra Biosciences' revolutionary QPDx™ multiplex immunoassay system.

The two companies will provide a global community of over 10,000 cancer care professionals with early access to the latest panels of protein biomarkers implicated in different cancers.  Avantra, based in Woburn, MA, is a leading innovator in protein diagnostics and recently announced the commercialization of the new Q400 Biomarker Workstation and innovative AngioGenQx™ BioChip immunoassay.  The system provides quantitative protein biomarker results for ten analytes in less than an hour, requiring only five minutes for sample preparation.  

As Avantra's scientific development team identifies biomarkers of interest for its QPDx™ system, MedTrust will use its Knowledge Medicine™ platform to engage oncologists in online discussions that will validate the role of different panels in diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment efficacy in cancer care.  The first of several multiplex assays to be evaluated include an upcoming panel developed in the recently announced collaboration between Avantra and TGen Drug Development.  Avantra intends to develop additional panels that may target ovarian, pancreatic, lung, prostate, breast, and colorectal cancers to uncover associations between protein marker levels and patient drug responses that can positively impact clinical decisions.   Currently available for research use only (RUO), Avantra intends to seek regulatory approval for its assay technologies as the clinical utility of the molecular information becomes evident.   In addition to oncology, Avantra is exploring opportunities in other areas such as infectious disease through its upcoming panel for sepsis.

"Avantra is excited to work with MedTrust Online and their clinical experts on this joint collaboration.  Avantra's novel QPDx system is an easy-to-use multiplex protein biomarker technology that will provide MedTrust's user base with rapid, high utility, protein biomarker data.  Avantra is working on several key strategic initiatives to combine proteomic and genomic products and services technologies that will assist professionals in the research, clinical and pharmaceutical fields to make better decisions for drug profiling, patient stratification and disease management.  Our relationship with MedTrust Online is another key component to our strategy for building Avantra and our long term vision," said Brian McKernan, CEO of Avantra Biosciences.

"This partnership will provide cancer doctors with powerful biomarker assays that can be validated with clinical insights about their utility at the point of care," said Dr. Christopher Yoo, CEO of MedTrust.  "The result of this joint effort will be better decisions based on the most accurate molecular knowledge available about an individual patient's disease.  We believe Avantra's technology will bring a higher level of accuracy than what's currently available and MedTrust is delighted to work with Avantra on this important advancement in cancer care."