Immudex has entered into a strategic agreement with the US Cancer Immunotherapy Consortium (CIC) of the Cancer Research Institute, and the European Association for Cancer Immunotherapy (CIMT), under which Immudex will provide MHC-peptide multimer and Elispot proficiency panel services worldwide.
CIC and CIMT originally established proficiency panel programs to offer an external validation of assay performance and to enhance assay harmonization. Over the years, more than one hundred laboratories have participated not only from the cancer field, but also from other immunological fields utilizing immunomonitoring. As a result, two frequently used immune monitoring methods, the MHC-peptide multimer and Elispot assays, have now reached a high degree of harmonization. Immudex, specialized in the detection of antigen-specific T cells, has been an active participant in the proficiency panel process and is globally recognized for its expertise in immune monitoring. Thus Immudex was the logical choice as partner for proficiency panels.
Starting in fall of 2013, Immudex will be providing proficiency panels for MHC multimer and Elispot assays to laboratories worldwide, independently of their background and association. Immudex will continue the external validation program established by CIC and CIMT under the successfully implemented harmonization guidelines and will promote a more widespread use of these technologies in the development of new cancer immunotherapies and vaccines against other diseases such as HIV, TB, diabetes and others.
Sylvia Janetzki, coordinator of the CIC panel program, explains the rationale for handing the proficiency panels over to Immudex: “Immudex has been an activate partner and valued collaborator in our panel activities. Their continuation of the panel program will allow CIC and CIMT to start projects that aim at improving the performance of new assays and to investigate efficient approaches to maintain the integrity of samples obtained from donors participating in clinical trials.” Cedrik Britten of CIMT adds: “The CIMT Immunoguiding Program (CIP) members are excited to see that external validation for two commonly used T cell assays may now become a regular service available to a large number of laboratories working in different fields of immunology. Our expectation is that the T cell community will benefit from a regular feedback about their immune assay performance relative to their peers, together making immunological monitoring a sharper tool to guide the clinical development of innovative immunotherapies.”
Henrik Pedersen, CEO of Immudex, comments “We are very honored that Immudex is taking over the responsibility of the MHC multimer and Elispot proficiency panels. The years-long efforts of CIMT and CIC have improved Elispot and multimer assays to a new level of accuracy, robustness and reliability. Once considered research tools, these assays are now ready for comprehensive, routine use in the development of new immune-based treatments and vaccines.”
Source:Immudex