Dako to create companion test for Merck Sharp and Dohme cancer drug

Dako has announced a companion diagnostic test collaboration with pharmaceutical company Merck Sharp and Dohme.

The test will be used for the analysis of the potential tumour biomarker PD-L1 to aid in the treatment of cancer and will be evaluated as part of the clinical development programme for Merck's investigational anti-PD-1 antibody.

Early research has provided evidence for the potential of PD-L1 tumour expression to aid study enrichment and patient selection in some tumour types. Financial terms of the development and commercialisation agreement were not disclosed.

Dako has a strong record of successful long-term partnerships with various drug development companies such as AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Amgen, Pfizer and Lilly.

Jacob Thaysen, vice-president and general manager for the diagnostics and genomics business at Dako's parent company Agilent, said: "Partnering with other companies that share our commitment to fighting cancer allows us to aid in the selection of patients most likely to respond to specific cancer therapies."

This comes after the firm introduced two new ready-to-use antibodies for cancer diagnosis, Anti-CK 8/18 and Anti-TdT, last month.