The science and business of predictive biomarkers has received another affirmation in the form of a funding round of roughly $804,000, or £500,000. London-based Activiomics has only been in existence since February 2010, but, according to a news release, has already "demonstrated the value of its technology through revenue generating partnerships with big pharma, including GlaxoSmithKline, UCB and Genentech."
The new funding round was led by IP Group, IP Venture Fund (a venture capital fund managed by IP Group) and members of Activiomics' management. Activiomics says the funds raised will strengthen its ability to grow its partnerships with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and to pursue its identification of of oncology biomarkers.
Activiomics uses mass spectrometry to interrogate and interpret the activity of cellular signalling pathways. Its core technology is TIQUAS or Targeted Quantification of Cell Signalling. It works by using a protease to break down a cell or tissue extract into peptide fragments. Phosphopeptide enrichment, mass spectrometry and the company's TIQUAS software allow thousands of phosphopeptides to be quantified. Cross-comparison of treated samples enables biomarker discovery and/or drug profiling.
"Better prediction of clinical outcomes is vital to improve drug approval numbers. ...Biomarkers are a route to improving that prediction," "Mark Warne, Activiomics' CEO, said in a statement. "That said, proving that new markers increase predictability in development and treatment is critical. Our technology will enable this and significantly contribute towards pharma and biotech's efforts to gain timely approvals by regulatory authorities."
- read the release
- and learn more about Activiomics' technology