Source MDx: And the Band Played On...

CLSDF previously highlighted Source MDx, read the post (here)…there is nothing hotter than incorporating validated biomarkers under the umbrella of personalized medicine and that is what continues to transpire at the Source MDx Boulder headquarters. An impressive list of partners and clients of Source MDx include Abbott Labs (NYSE: ABT), Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN), Celgene (NASDAQ: CELG), Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY), and Pfizer (NYSE: PFE), to name a few. Now long time partner Pfizer has agreed to a new multi-year collaboration to incorporate the Source MDx platform into the Pfizer cancer and inflammation development programs. So that may be associated with one or more molecules in the Pfizer rheumatoid arthritis, transplantation rejection, osteoarthritis, breast, lung, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers, melanoma and thryroid neoplasm development work. I have not delved into the Q’s or K’s to unearth details, can anyone leave a comment about specifics on these programs at Pfizer?

Particulars on the deal are not plentiful but it appears to be a multi-year collaboration where validated candidate biomarkers will lead to joint commercial opportunities for potential companion diagnostics. So at some point in the future expect to hear about one or more predicative biomarkers in the clinic. Source MDx shall receive 1) an equity investment 2) a technology licensing fee and 3) R&D funding over the term of the agreement. Source MDx shall retain certain commercial rights to diagnostic biomarkers discovered through the agreement and, co-commercialization of any companion diagnostics that are developed as part of the collaboration is likely.

***Update*** Looks like GlobeImmune is in the lead to win CLSDF-Reader's Company of the Year award. Be sure to cast your vote at http://CLSDF.com. Voting ends 31 January!

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Source MDx: RNA State of Mind

No doubt about it Colorado is, to borrow poorly from Billy Joel, an RNA State of Mind. What with the Nobel Prize winning work of Tom Cech for the discovery of catalytic properties of RNA, to the work being done at Sirna now Merck (NYSE: MRK) where RNAi technology is being used to develop a new class of therapeutics targeting human disease, to Steve Scaringe of Dharmacon now Fisher Scientific (NYSE: FSH) for developing and commercializing a new technology for RNA oligonucleotide synthesis (2’-ACE RNA chemistry).

Add to the list Boulder’s Source MDx (molecular diagnostics). Source MDx is focused on the development of RNA-based biomarkers and companion diagnostics in inflammation related therapeutic areas including oncology, cardiovascular, autoimmune and infectious diseases for pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Source MDx has pioneered the precision measurement and clinical utility of RNA-based biomarkers in the characterization of inflammation and immune response and is an industry leader in demonstrating the ability to monitor an individual’s health, disease status and response to therapy at the molecular level based on RNA from whole blood, tissue and biofluid samples.

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