SEATTLE– NanoString Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: NSTG), a leading provider of life science tools for discovery and translational research, today announced the launch of the nCounter® ADC Development Panel, a specialized gene expression tool for use in the rapidly expanding field of Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADCs). Created in collaboration with leading pharmaceutical and clinical scientists, this novel panel is designed to provide molecular insights into important biological questions and challenges of oncology therapies.
ADCs are defined as a new class of highly potent therapeutics composed of an antibody attached via a chemical linker to a biologically active drug or cytotoxic compound. These targeted agents allow for sensitive discrimination between healthy and cancer tissues with the cell-killing ability of cytotoxic drugs. The field now has 10 approved drugs, over 80 investigational ADCs, and nearly 200 clinical trials and is gaining momentum as an effective approach for targeting cancer.
The new panel provides for customizable ADC content to address complex questions critical for the success of Antibody Drug Conjugates throughout discovery, pre-clinical and clinical development. The panel can be used to directly profile 770 genes addressing essential biological questions relevant to each step in the ADC development workflow, including tumor targeting and antigen expression; ADC internalization; payload release; drug mechanisms of action; target cell death; immunogenic cell death; and mechanisms of resistance.
“With this panel, researchers have a powerful, cutting-edge tool that addresses biological function with deep molecular characterization, expanding insights gained from traditional endpoint assays,” said Joseph Beechem, Chief Scientific Officer at NanoString. “The specific and sophisticated characterization will allow us to fully understand mechanisms of action, potential resistance, as well as the role of the immune response.”
To learn more about how NanoString is addressing the challenges within the field of ADC, visit NanoString at the virtual World ADC Conference Oct. 11-14. On Oct. 12, NanoString will present “Optimizing ADC Development and Patient-Treatment Selection,” led by Dr. Funda Meric-Bernstam, the Chair of the Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, Division of Cancer Medicine, MD Anderson Cancer Center.
