Biomarker Collaboration to Identify Pregnant Women at Risk

Bruker Daltonics (Billerca, MA, USA) and HealthLinx Ltd. (Melbourne, Australia) have expanded their biomarker discovery collaboration to include diagnostic-test development and marketing, specifically a test to detect pregnancy complications.

The companies are to develop biomarkers that were discovered through an existing collaboration between the two companies. According to the new agreement, the companies will file a joint patent application and share costs associated with the patent and development of the biomarkers.

The biomarkers were discovered using Bruker Daltonics' ClinProt platform. The test is expected to be blood-based, and will be performed at the first antenatal visit and/or subsequently during pregnancy. It will seek to identify women with a predisposition to a number of complications in pregnancy including preeclampsia, preterm labor, miscarriage, and gestational diabetes. Women will be classified as either having a high risk or a low risk of developing complications of pregnancy, allowing the gynecologist and/or general practitioner to undertake more appropriate management and/or intervention strategies during the pregnancy to improve outcomes for both mother and baby.

The agreement gives Bruker Daltonics marketing rights for the test in Europe, the United Kingdom, Africa, and South America, while HealthLinx will have rights in Australia, New Zealand, and Asia. The companies will jointly market the test in the United States and Canada. HealthLinx will retain worldwide exclusivity for any enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA)/Multiplex-based test that may be developed in the future.

Dr. Gary Kruppa, vice president of Bruker Daltonics, stated, "This work represents a further validation of our ClinProt platform for the discovery and identification of biomarkers. We are also excited about the success of this collaboration to date, and the opportunity that the development of these biomarkers presents.”

Associate professor Greg Rice of HealthLinx and Dr. Gongyi Shi from Bruker Daltonics' applications laboratory discovered the biomarkers as a result of the two companies' on-going collaboration and, accordingly, both will be recognized as co-inventors.




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