QIAGEN and OncXerna Therapeutics, Inc. (“OncXerna”), a precision medicine company using an innovative RNA-expression based biomarker platform to predict patient responses to its targeted oncology therapeutic candidates, announced signing a master companion diagnostics (CDx) agreement to develop an NGS CDx for OncXerna’s product candidate, Navicixizumab, and a non-exclusive license to the Xerna TME panel.

QIAGEN and OncXerna have agreed to collaborate to advance the Xerna TME panel towards IVD (in-vitro diagnostic) regulatory approval as a NGS companion diagnostic for Navicixizumab, which is being developed by OncXerna as a treatment for patients with ovarian cancer. The diagnostic will be used to determine if patients with ovarian cancer whose dominant tumor biology is driven by angiogenesis are more likely to benefit from treatment with Navicixizumab.

The Xerna TME panel uses proprietary RNA-based gene expression data and a machine learning-based algorithm to classify patients based on the dominant biology of their cancer so that patients can be matched with therapies that directly address these biologies. Pursuant to the non-exclusive license, which is for research use only (“RUO”) and clinical development programs, OncXerna has granted QIAGEN the rights to integrate the Xerna TME panel into their NGS workflow solutions, which broadens QIAGEN’s NGS CDx custom panel development capabilities.

“We are very pleased to complete these agreements with QIAGEN, which we see as providing important external validation for the Xerna TME panel and our broader RNA-based biomarker platform,” stated Dr. Laura Benjamin, OncXerna Founder and CEO. “As an NGS industry-leader in precision medicine diagnostics with impressive global development, manufacturing and commercial capabilities, we believe QIAGEN is uniquely positioned to help advance the Xerna TME panel towards regulatory approval as an NGS companion diagnostic and, if approved, drive the panel’s adoption. Moreover, integration of the Xerna TME Panel into their workflow solutions could enable QIAGEN to provide a new RNA-based offering to strengthen their overall immune oncology solutions for biopharma customers.”

“We believe that the Xerna TME panel that we can now offer our customers will further enhance our strong portfolio in companion diagnostics. Through this agreement, we aim to foster additional NGS-based collaborations with pharmaceutical companies for the development of drug treatments for immune oncology and promote early clinical adoption of precision medicine diagnostics such as our therascreen portfolio and the Xerna TME panel,” said Jonathan Arnold, Vice President, Head of Oncology and Precision Diagnostics at QIAGEN. “We are also thrilled to have the master CDx agreement in place and look forward to working with OncXerna to develop an NGS companion diagnostic for Navicixizumab based on our extensive track record with the development of companion diagnostics for a variety of cancers.”