Agreement to advance MRD Test for Myeloma Investigations    

A license agreement with two Netherlands Institutes enabling development of a novel clinical laboratory test for minimal residual disease (MRD) status directly on serum samples of multiple myeloma patients has been announced by French company Sebia.

The partnership with Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam and the Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen, aims to offer a more accessible and sensitive MRD test based on serum-protein electrophoresis (SPE), immunofixation and free light chains. These techniques are recommended by the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG). The specific terms of the agreement have not been disclosed.
“Very high sensitivity MRD assessment in blood will revolutionise patients’ myeloma management and speed up therapeutic innovations. This unique personalised targeted mass spectrometry technology brings unprecedented clinical value in fighting myeloma,” said Pierre Sonigo, chief scientific officer at Sebia.
“We have developed a very robust and especially sensitive test that can be used with serum to follow patients over a long-term. Sensitive detection of multiple myeloma can directly influence how patients will be treated in the future,” said Theo Luider PhD chair of Clinical and Cancer Proteomics, Department of Neurology, at Erasmus MC.  
"Through personalised diagnostics on one drop of blood, we can create a patient-friendly alternative to monitor MRD in myeloma patients,” said Hans Jacobs, PhD, MD medical immunologist and head of the Dutch M-protein reference centre at Radboudumc. “This allows dynamic monitoring of patients with detailed responses, which is crucial for early detection of disease relapse. This assay will greatly support the path towards precision medicine in these patients.”