MONTREAL--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MRM Proteomics Inc. is partnering with Exactis Innovation to develop and validate a clinical proteomic test that will provide clinicians and scientists with the ability to identify immune signatures and tumour mutation profiles to better match patients with the most effective treatments. The novel diagnostic test will be the first immuno-MALDI test to measure the activity of multiple cancer-associated proteins in patients’ tumours. This approach has the potential to transform the selection of cancer treatments by providing direct insight into the mechanisms of disease progression and appropriate drug targets on a patient-by-patient basis.
“Proteomics is in a position to realize the promise of precision medicine. Proteins are the effectors of biological processes in the cells and the targets of most drugs. We need to look to proteins for the next step in precision medicine” said Dr. Christoph Borchers, Chief Scientific Officer for MRM Proteomics.
MRM Proteomics will use their proprietary immunoMALDI technology to analyze breast and colorectal tumour samples obtained through Exactis’s Personalize My Treatment patient registry. Once validated, the clinically-applicable test will be used to characterize immune signatures and tumour mutation profiles to screen patients for response to immuno-oncologic cancer treatments.
An important benefit for clinicians and patients is that the innovative response-prediction tool will enable matching of patients with the most appropriate treatment as early as possible, which increases the chances of survival and avoids exposure to side effects from ineffective treatments.
“This is the core potential of precision medicine with proteomics -- the ability to more accurately determine the right treatment up front means better outcomes for cancer patients” said Dr. Gerald Batist, Co-Founder and Scientific Director of Exactis Innovation and Director of the Segal Cancer Centre at the Jewish General Hospital.
The partnership builds on recent advancements in precision medicine, molecular assays, quantitative proteomics and proteo-genomics and serves to advance Exactis’s mission to accelerate the translation of precision oncology into clinical care. The work also fits with MRM Proteomics’s focus on delivering high-quality proteomics technologies for research and clinical settings.
“MRM Proteomics is excited to develop biomarker assays for important cancer proteins with Exactis to facilitate the translation of the patented iMALDI test to the clinic where it can benefit patients. The proteomics field is rapidly evolving, making it possible to generate highly accurate and reproducible quantification of important oncogenic proteins to guide treatment. This project benefits from Exactis’s access to a large number of clinical samples and high quality clinical data and represents a remarkable opportunity to realize the potential of proteomics in the clinic” said Mr. Claude Leduc, President and CEO of MRM Proteomics.
The validated proteomic assay is expected to lead to more effective therapy choice with improved outcomes for cancer patients while saving significant costs associated with the use of ineffective treatments. The test also has value in pharmaceutical research setting by providing an efficient way to select appropriate patient sub-populations for precision medicine clinical trials, expediting FDA approvals, and introducing new therapeutic options to the clinic faster.
The project showcases the strengths and opportunities for the biotechnology sector in Quebec.
“Exactis is pleased to partner with MRM-P in this project and support a small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) in its goals to provide innovative molecular testing technologies that support the evolution of precision oncology. Support of diagnostic technology development in precision oncology that capitalizes on local expertise helps the expansion of the biotechnology/medical technology industry in Quebec” said Mr. Richard Fajzel, President and CEO of Exactis innovation.
About Exactis Innovation
Exactis Innovation (Exactis) is a Canadian not-for-profit organization created in 2014 with funds from a public/private sector collaboration, including the Canadian Government Business-Led Networks of Centers of Excellence, and several pharmaceutical, biotech, not-for-profit and research organizations. Exactis is building an integrated, agile research network to improve cancer care for Canadians by addressing the challenge of recruiting and matching cancer patients to clinical studies for targeted therapies that could benefit them. At the heart of the network is a first-of-its-kind patient registry – Personalize My Treatment (PMT) – where patients are recruited by their cancer care institution and agree to have detailed molecular data about their cancer stored in a digital bio-bank and also agree to be contacted if they are considered suitable for future clinical studies that match their cancer characteristics. For more information, please visit www.exactis.ca.
About MRM Proteomics Inc.
MRM Proteomics Inc. (MRM Proteomics) is a Canadian biotechnology company, founded in 2010 to commercialize cutting-edge proteomics technologies. MRM Proteomics operates as a CRO and research partner for clients in biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. The company’s mission is to deliver the highest quality of precision proteomics technologies in the form of products, services, and the development of clinical diagnostics. As experts in mass spectrometry, their portfolio includes offerings for protein quantitation, protein and biosimilar structural characterization, tissue imaging, phosphoproteomics and metabolomics as well as custom-tailored research solutions. MRM Proteomics has also developed and launched the PeptiQuantTM Plus line of mass spectrometry-based kits for protein quantitation and MetaboloMetricsTM kits for metabolite quantitation.
About precision medicine & proteomics
Although cancer cases are commonly grouped together based on the affected part of the body (e.g., brain cancer, breast cancer, liver cancer), research increasingly demonstrates that each “type” is actually made up of many cancer subtypes, each with a distinct molecular signature. These molecular subtypes help to explain why one patient may respond to a given treatment, while another patient may not. Determining each patient’s molecular subtype is therefore a critical step in improving cancer treatment plans.
“Proteomics” is a scientific method for detailed molecular profiling, by precisely measuring the proteins that are directly responsible for activities occurring in the cell. To this point, molecular phenotyping has largely relied on genetics and histology analysis of tumours. These approaches provide useful clues about the molecular identity of the tumour and often help in finding biomarkers that are useful for treatment selection, but they cannot reveal current protein activity in a cell. As the effectors of molecular processes in the cell, it is proteins that drive disease progression and that are the targets of most therapies. By enabling direct measurement of specific protein isoforms and their activity, proteomics provides the most direct insight into the mechanisms of disease progression and the most direct measurement of drug targets. This provides proteomics with a unique advantage in determining which therapeutics are likely to be effective for a given tumour.
This project will use cutting-edge bioanalytical tools to precisely measure the concentration of protein biomarkers in patient tumour samples and examine those protein concentrations in the context of detailed patient clinical data from Exactis’s PMT platform. This will result in the creation of a novel tool to ensure that cancer patients are consistently matched with the most effective treatment as early as possible, thereby improving their chances of survival and avoiding unnecessary side effects associated with ineffective treatments.
