“In order to realise our goal of ensuring all melanoma patients receive a personalised approach to their diagnosis and treatment, collaboration is vital. Through key partnerships, we know that we can maximise the availability of our diagnostic test to enable a more holistic approach to melanoma management.” — AMLo Biosciences’ CEO, Marie Labus
Marie Labus, CEO, AMLo Biosciences delivered two workshops describing the power of collaboration for product development, alongside Claire Jones, Senior Biomedical Scientist, NovoPath, NUTH, at the Diagnostics North East annual conference on 17 March, The Catalyst, Newcastle.
The partnership between AMLo Biosciences and NovoPath, now entering its fifth year, brought together the scientific expertise and validation pathway experience required to accelerate the development of AMLo’s diagnostic technology that accurately identifies melanomas at low risk of progression and enables patients to access the test.
Marie described the importance and value of collaboration for small, start-up companies who often have insufficient funds or resources to purchase the necessary equipment or employ staff with the relevant expertise. This successful collaboration has spanned the early proof-of-concept studies, the product validation phase, through to the early commercialisation of the technology.
The relationship has been beneficial for both parties as NovoPath have successfully added the antibodies used in the technology to their UKAS accreditation. The histological test takes the original biopsy sample and stains for the presence of biomarker proteins AMBRA1 and loricrin. Maintaining one or both of these proteins across the surface of the tumour is associated with a low risk of progression. NovoPath currently offer this test through a referral service, in advance of the UK-CA mark, meaning patients already have access to this technology.
Marie stressed that early engagement with NovoPath helped AMLo collect the required data for regulatory approval, rather than delaying the product development process for additional data generation. Claire highlighted the range of expertise and experience they had within NovoPath that researchers and companies could access through the NE Diagnostics Consortium.
The Diagnostics North East annual conference brought together over 150 leading professionals from industry, healthcare and academia. The AMLo and NovoPath workshops saw 124 delegates over the two sessions with attendees showing particular interest in the regulatory approval process, UKAS accreditation process and access to bio-banked samples.