[Edaily Reporter NA EUN-KYUNG ] #Aimed Bio Inc. announced that it will pursue joint research and make a strategic equity investment with Inocras, a U.S.-based precision diagnostics company specializing in whole-genome sequencing (WGS), to develop new drugs based on precision medicine.

Through this collaboration, the two companies plan to refine biomarker discovery and patient selection strategies using WGS and multi-omics analysis in the development of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), and to collaborate on the discovery of new anti-cancer targets.

In recent ADC development, identifying patients likely to respond to the drug and securing biomarkers that predict resistance mechanisms and treatment response are considered key factors in increasing clinical success rates. Consequently, the importance of a precision medicine approach—which segments patient populations based on genomic information—is growing.

Innocras is a precision diagnostics company that provides WGS-based cancer genomic testing and data analysis services through its CLIA- and CAP-accredited laboratories in the United States. It operates the cancer genomic analysis platforms “CancerVision” and “MRDVision.”

Aimed Bio Inc. plans to apply WGS-based biomarker analysis to its ongoing ADC clinical trials and future development projects, and to utilize patient-derived genomic and omics data to expand indications and discover new anti-cancer targets. The two companies have also agreed to explore joint business opportunities by linking Aimed Bio Inc.’s precision medicine drug screening business with Inocras’s precision diagnostics business.

Heo Nam-gu, CEO of Aimed Bio Inc., stated, “As competition in ADC development intensifies, it is becoming increasingly important to identify the most suitable treatment strategies for specific patients.” He added, “We will leverage Inocras’s WGS analysis capabilities for ADC clinical biomarker analysis and patient selection strategies, and further connect this to the discovery of new anti-cancer targets to strengthen Aimed Bio Inc.’s precision medicine-based new drug development platform.”

Seo Je-hee, CEO of Inocras, remarked, “This collaboration is highly significant in that whole-genome sequencing data can be expanded beyond precision diagnostics to include new drug development and therapeutic strategies.” He added, “Based on both companies’ technologies and expertise, we will create tangible synergies in the field of precision medicine-based anticancer drug development.”