12 August 2020 - - US-based RNA-based genomic solutions provider GeneCentric Therapeutics has entered into a research collaboration with Janssen Research and Development, LLC (Janssen) around RNA-based drug response biomarkers for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), the company said.

The research will involve the application of GeneCentric's advanced RNA-based molecular profiling platform to elucidate potential signatures of disease progression and drug response to standard of care therapy, including the role of genomic alterations in the fibroblast growth factor receptor. Financial terms were not disclosed.

While cancer subtypes identified in the setting of metastatic urothelial carcinoma have been associated with disease risk and potential therapeutic response, there is a paucity of such characterization in the area of NMIBC to potentially inform clinical decision making.

The application of GeneCentric's RNA-based gene-expression signatures have potential to identify relevant NMIBC subtypes and markers of response to potential therapeutic options. FGFR genomic alterations are among the more common tumor mutations in these patients.

Specifically, the research collaboration aims to deepen tumor genomic and immune microenvironment insights in the setting NMIBC patients utilising GeneCentric's RNA-based tumor bioinformatics technology, including the Bladder Cancer Subtype Profiler (BCSP), pan-cancer diagnostics, cancer antigen discovery, immunogenomic biomarkers, and prototype FGFR activation gene signatures.

GeneCentric Therapeutics, Inc., based in Research Triangle Park, N.C., is an RNA-based genomic solutions provider.

The company's technologies are designed to parse the complexity of tumor and immune biology to discover and develop signatures of responder populations to oncology drugs.

GeneCentric is commercializing its technology through strategic collaborations with pharmaceutical, biotechnology and diagnostics companies in applications throughout pre-clinical testing, clinical drug development and commercialization lifecycle phases.

In addition to bladder cancer, GeneCentric has gene expression-based Cancer Profilers for lung, head and neck, pancreatic, kidney, glioblastoma, melanoma and multiple myeloma, as well as signatures to characterise therapeutic cancer targets such as PD(L)-1, PARP, FGFR2/3, and specific cytokines.