NMI technology using planar and bead-based microarrays will be leveraged.

In vitro diagnostics specialist Protagen is partnering with the University of Tübingen’s National and Medical Sciences Institute (NMI) for the joint development of multiplex assays for diagnosing autoimmune diseases and cancer. The long-term agreement is based on data from two years’ of pilot studies, and is focused on developing customized assays for personalized medicine.

The joint program will combine Protagen’s expertise in the field of protein expression and clinical validation of serum biomarkers with the NMI’s assay platform. “For several years our focus has been on development of testing systems using planar and bead-based protein microarrays,” explains the NMI’s Hugo Hämmerle, M.D. “The competence and capability of our research platform was already validated by a number of projects with international partners from industry and academia. The cooperation with Protagen allows us to collaborate on the commercialization of assays for personalized medicine.”

Protagen has two operational arms, focused on in vitro diagnostics and GMP-compliant protein analysis services. The diagnostics unit is leveraging the firm’s UNIarray technology for the identification of biomarkers and development of tests based on autoantibody signatures in serum or plasma. Protagen is developing a pipeline of assays in house, and also offers biomarker discovery and validation services to the life science community for the development of assays for patient stratification, therapy monitoring, and drug discovery.

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