Bristol-Myers Squibb and Nordic Bioscience Collaborate on Fibrosis Biomarker Technology

Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) announced on April 17, 2017 that it was entering into an agreement with Danish company Nordic Bioscience to develop biomarker technology to diagnose and monitor fibrotic diseases including non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in pre-clinical models and in clinical settings. The collaboration is part of BMS’ commitment to the discovery and development of medicines for the treatment of fibrosis. Nordic Bioscience specializes in preclinical and clinical drug development using unique biomarker technologies.

“Addressing the significant need for better diagnostic and monitoring tools in fibrotic diseases is a key element of Bristol-Myers Squibb’s fibrosis strategy to help patients suffering from these debilitating conditions,” said Mike Burgess, head of Cardiovascular, Fibrosis and Immunoscience Development, BMS, in a press release. “We continue to invest in innovative approaches to develop more precise methods to diagnose disease and monitor progression and we are pleased to partner with Nordic Bioscience and leverage their vast experience in biomarker development.”

“There is a big unmet need in medical and drug development for simple non-invasive diagnostic, early proof of efficacy of intervention and prognostic biomarkers in the NASH field. Nordic Bioscience is very proud to enter into this collaboration which will benefit the fibrosis field by advancing the research in fibrosis biomarkers for the benefit of patients,” said Morten Karsdal, CEO of Nordic Bioscience, in the release.

Fibrosis is the buildup of scar tissue that impacts organ function. NASH, according to BMS, has no approved treatment options. The disease may lead to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, or idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive lung disease with a high mortality rate.

Source: BMS