Bristol-Myers, Nordic Bioscience to jointly develop biomarker technology

NEW YORK — Bristol-Myers Squibb and Nordic Bioscience on Monday announced a collaboration agreement to develop biomarker technology to potentially aid in the diagnosis and monitoring of fibrotic diseases including non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). A biomarker is a molecule that may be used to diagnose a disease, or predict disease progression and indicate response to therapy.

“Addressing the significant need for better diagnostic and monitoring tools in fibrotic diseases is a key element of Bristol-Myers Squibb’s fibrosis strategy to help patients suffering from these debilitating conditions,” said Mike Burgess, head of Cardiovascular, Fibrosis and Immunoscience Development, Bristol-Myers Squibb. “We continue to invest in innovative approaches to develop more precise methods to diagnose disease and monitor progression and we are pleased to partner with Nordic Bioscience and leverage their vast experience in biomarker development.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Nordic Bioscience will collaborate in the development of translational biomarkers and diagnostics for the evaluation of NASH in pre-clinical models of fibrotic diseases and in clinical settings. Danish-based Nordic Bioscience has more than 25 years’ experience in biomarker development and clinical trials with expertise in rheumatology and fibrosis.

“There is a big unmet need in medical and drug development for simple non-invasive diagnostic, early proof of efficacy of intervention and prognostic biomarkers in the NASH field. Nordic Bioscience is very proud to enter into this collaboration which will benefit the fibrosis field by advancing the research in fibrosis biomarkers for the benefit of patients,” said Morten Karsdal, CEO of Nordic Bioscience.