Rapid Novor teams up with PMCC to evaluate EasyM™ for multiple myeloma minimal residual disease monitoring

Rapid Novor Inc., a global leader in mass spectrometry (MS)-based antibody protein sequencing, today announced that the first patient has been enrolled in a new clinical study titled 'Clinical evaluation of EasyM^™ for disease response analysis in newly diagnosed MM patients (NDMM)'. In collaboration with Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (PMCC), and funding provided by Janssen Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company (J&J) , Rapid Novor is sponsoring the study to evaluate the clinical utility of its highly sensitive, non-invasive, clonotypic, mass spectrometry-based minimal residual disease (MRD) blood test, EasyM^™ for MM.

Multiple myeloma is the second most common form of hematological (blood) cancer with over 175,000 new cases diagnosed each year worldwide. The detection of MRD in patients with MM serves as one of the most powerful prognostic factors for progression-free and overall survival.

"We are excited to be working with PMCC and J&J for this prospective study for EasyM^™" states Dr. Liqiang Yang, Chief Strategy Officer at Rapid Novor. "This clinical study will help to accelerate the development and validation of our pioneering non-invasive MRD-disease monitoring technology for MM patients, with the aim to expand patient accessibility for enhanced disease monitoring and care."

The EasyM^™ assay measures the levels of M-protein, a well-known biomarker for MM, in the patient's peripheral blood using Rapid Novor's proprietary MS-based protein sequencing technology.

EasyM's non-invasive nature represents a significant leap forward for MM monitoring. Being a simple, and extremely sensitive blood test, EasyM^™will offer patients a more convenient alternative to highly invasive bone marrow biopsies."

Dr. Liqiang Yang, Chief Strategy Officer, Rapid Novor

Rapid Novor became a resident company in Johnson & Johnson Innovation, JLABS @ Toronto in 2018 and JLABS @ Shanghai in 2021. JLABS is the largest global network of open innovation ecosystems, enabling and empowering emerging companies with the knowledge, experience, partnerships, and venture connections across a broad healthcare spectrum including the biotech and medical technology sectors.

In January 2023, Rapid Novor's diagnostic laboratory obtained its Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) certification, enabling patients with multiple myeloma to utilize EasyM^™ as a clinical testing option.