CHARLESTON, S.C., March 10,
2021 /PRNewswire/ -- GlycoPath Inc., the developer of
advanced bioanalytical assays based on its proprietary
GlycoTyperTM immunoaffinity technology, announced
the closing of its seed investment round with Bruker Corporation
(Nasdaq: BRKR) as a new minority investor. Financial details were
not disclosed.
The proprietary GlycoTyperTM glycan profiling
technology captures diagnostic glycoproteins from blood using
multiplexed antibody slide arrays, followed by direct analysis of
the glycans present on each glycoprotein by MALDI-TOF mass
spectrometry. Presently, the GlycoTyperTM technology is
for research use only.
The initial pathology target for GlycoTyperTM,
hepatic fibrosis, is currently one of the fastest growing diseases
in the US by annual case numbers, and may affect over 100 million
people in the US and 1.5 billion individuals worldwide. In addition
to providing initial patient screening and risk stratification for
liver fibrosis, the planned LDT (laboratory-developed test) assay
will be positioned for routine surveillance of at-risk populations.
The test is not affected by co-morbidities such as obesity, which
are problematic for current fibrosis diagnostic testing
protocols.
Dr. Richard Drake, Chief
Executive Officer at GlycoPath, said: "Built on
thousands of glycan analyses of tissues and biofluids, integrating
our translational research glycan profiling assays with precision
Bruker MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry instrumentation will accelerate
wider adoption of this approach. Our assays are positioned at the
nexus of immune response to disease, and circulating biomarkers
with the goal to provide novel diagnostic staging assays across the
precursor disease spectrum of liver fibrosis, cirrhosis up to
hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)."
Dr. Peggi Angel, Chief
Scientific Officer at GlycoPath, stated: "In the area of liver
disease, including hepatocellular carcinoma, GlycoTyper-based
research assays are able to detect early-stage cancer at double the
rate obtained with the current gold standard markers. This
demonstrates the potential of the GlycoTyperTM
technology for glycan biomarker studies, as thousands of samples
can be quickly analyzed both at the glycoprotein or glycopeptide
level, and converted in the future into a rapid diagnostic
screening and staging assay. GlycoTyperTM is also
proving to be a promising research assay for stratifying patients
with other conditions besides liver disease and liver cancer. Our
unique assay is highly reproducible and robust, presenting a strong
foundation for future clinical diagnostic assays targeting
disease-associated changes in glycosylation."
Dr. Rohan A. Thakur, the
Executive Vice President for Life Science Mass Spectrometry at
Bruker Daltonics, commented: "Our partnership with GlycoPath will
enable wider access to the GlycoTyperTM research assays
based on our MALDI-TOF technology. It is expected to
accelerate translational research towards early detection,
potentially support therapy selection in precision medicine, and
eventually monitor recurrence of potentially progressive conditions
like liver fibrosis or cirrhosis, all using non-invasive liquid
biopsy techniques. These are exciting developments in translational
research in liver disease, and we are honored to partner with the
GlycoPath team."
The initial research-use-only GlycoTyperTM liver
fibrosis assay is capable of measuring the glycans of multiple
captured glycoprotein targets in a single assay in high throughput
by combining the multiplexing features of antibody arrays with
MALDI imaging mass spectrometry, creating a new powerful biomarker
platform for discovery and validation.
About GlycoPath Inc. – www.glycopath.com/
GlycoPath Inc. is a developer of GlycoTyper-based bioanalytical
assays using the Company's proprietary platform technology,
developed at the Medical University of South
Carolina and licensed from the MUSC Foundation for Research
Development. The GlycoTyperTM platform is capable of
measuring the glycans of multiple captured glycoprotein targets in
a single assay in high-throughput. Hundreds to thousands of glycan
measurements per day are feasible, making it amenable for a wide
range of bio-analytical applications in drug development, basic and
translation research, as well as clinical diagnostics. The current
inventory of immunoaffinity slides and glycan analysis reagents
have been configured for glycan analysis in the fields of
hepatology, oncology, infectious diseases and pharmaceuticals.
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SOURCE GlycoPath Inc.