WOBURN, Mass.– Spear Bio, a biotechnology company developing ultrasensitive immunoassay technology, has entered into a strategic distribution partnership with Bio-Techne Corporation (NASDAQ: TECH), a global leader in life science reagents and diagnostics. The collaboration will significantly broaden access to Spear Bio’s SPEAR UltraDetect™ platform, starting with applications in neurology research.
The partnership follows Bio-Techne’s participation in Spear Bio’s $45 million Series A funding round in 2024 and marks a major milestone in the deployment of cutting-edge biomarker detection tools. The initial product lineup targets biomarkers critical to the study of neurodegenerative diseases, including phosphorylated tau 231 (pTau 231), phosphorylated tau 217 (pTau 217), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and neurofilament light (Nf‑L).
Spear Bio’s immunoassay platform, based on Successive Proximity Extension Amplification Reaction (SPEAR) technology licensed from Harvard University, offers sensitivity levels two to three orders of magnitude greater than traditional immunoassay systems. The technology is compatible with standard qPCR instrumentation and aims to improve early detection and monitoring of disease biomarkers, particularly in challenging research environments.
“Partnering with Spear Bio marks an exciting step in our mission to advance biomarker detection in neurodegenerative disease research,” said Will Geist, president of Bio-Techne’s Protein Sciences Segment. “By leveraging Bio-Techne’s global reach and immunoassay expertise with Spear Bio’s ultrasensitive technology, we are equipping researchers with innovative tools to detect and study critical biomarkers with unmatched precision and sensitivity.”
With Bio-Techne’s international distribution network, Spear Bio is poised to accelerate the global rollout of its next-generation assays. While the initial focus is on neurodegenerative diseases, the technology is also applicable to research in inflammation, oncology, and other high-growth biomedical fields.
“Our strategic partnership with Bio-Techne represents a transformative opportunity for neurodegenerative disease research,” said Feng Xuan, Ph.D., founder and CEO of Spear Bio. “By combining Bio-Techne’s global distribution network and market leadership with Spear Bio’s next-generation immunoassay technology, we are empowering researchers worldwide to investigate earlier disease mechanisms, improve patient stratification in clinical trials, and accelerate the development of new treatments for neurological disorders.”
The agreement underscores Spear Bio’s ambitions to reshape biomarker research and reinforces Bio-Techne’s commitment to advancing precision detection technologies in the life sciences.
