QIAGEN and INOVIO Expand Collaboration to Develop Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) Companion Diagnostic for INOVIO’s VGX-3100 for Advanced Cervical Dysplasia

Rhea-AI Summary

QIAGEN and INOVIO Pharmaceuticals have extended their partnership with a master collaboration agreement to develop liquid biopsy-based diagnostic products utilizing next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology. The initial project will focus on a diagnostic test for identifying women who may benefit from VGX-3100, INOVIO's immunotherapy for advanced cervical dysplasia linked to HPV. This test will leverage QIAGEN’s bioinformatics to enhance INOVIO’s biomarker signature and will be developed for the Illumina NextSeq 550Dx platform, following a partnership established in 2019.

Positive

• Collaboration aims to enhance the efficacy of VGX-3100 immunotherapy for cervical dysplasia.
• Development of a targeted diagnostic test may increase patient response rates.
• Utilization of QIAGEN's bioinformatics expertise to improve predictive power.

Negative

• None.

QIAGEN (NYSE: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) and INOVIO Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: INO) today announced an extension of their partnership with a new master collaboration agreement to develop liquid biopsy-based companion* diagnostic products based on next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology to complement INOVIO’s therapies.
(*Complementary when referring to the US regulatory pathway.)

The initial project in this expanded collaboration focuses on the co-development of a diagnostic test that identifies women who are most likely to benefit from clinical use of VGX-3100, INOVIO's immunotherapy to treat advanced cervical dysplasia associated with the human papillomavirus (HPV). QIAGEN’s bioinformatic expertise will further increase the predictive power of INOVIO’s preliminary biomarker signature – and the assay will now be developed for use on the Illumina NextSeq™ 550Dx platform, the first development based on a partnership QIAGEN and Illumina signed in October 2019.

VGX-3100 is INOVIO’s late-stage DNA immunotherapy candidate. It is currently in two Phase 3 trials (REVEAL 1 and REVEAL 2), with the potential to become the first non-surgical treatment for advanced pre-cancerous cervical lesions associated with the virus (HPV-16 and HPV-18).

"As we advance our DNA medicines platform, we are always looking for ways to drive innovation with our own technology or that of a creative and accomplished partner. QIAGEN is contributing an extensive track record of developing and commercializing novel diagnostic tests,” said Dr. J. Joseph Kim, INOVIO’s President and CEO. “INOVIO is developing VGX-3100 as a non-surgical treatment for cervical pre-cancer and pre-treatment biomarkers we have discovered could be a targeted way to identify patients most likely to respond to treatment. The goal is to increase the absolute efficacy of the immunotherapy."

Please find the full press release here.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210223006239/en/

FAQ

What is the new partnership agreement between QIAGEN and INOVIO about?

QIAGEN and INOVIO announced a master collaboration agreement to develop liquid biopsy-based diagnostic products using next-generation sequencing technology.

What is VGX-3100 and its significance?

VGX-3100 is INOVIO's late-stage DNA immunotherapy candidate aimed at treating advanced cervical dysplasia associated with HPV.

How will the diagnostic test developed by QIAGEN and INOVIO work?

The test will identify women who are most likely to benefit from VGX-3100 and will leverage bioinformatics to enhance predictive power.

What is the role of the Illumina NextSeq 550Dx platform in this collaboration?

The diagnostic assay will be developed for use on the Illumina NextSeq 550Dx platform, enhancing the capabilities of the partnership.

What are the ongoing trials related to VGX-3100?

VGX-3100 is currently in two Phase 3 trials, REVEAL 1 and REVEAL 2, aimed at becoming the first non-surgical treatment for certain cervical lesions.