OncoHost announced that it has signed an option agreement with BGN Technologies to receive a license for a novel biosensing technology called IcAR (Immuno-checkpoint Artificial Reporter). IcAR was developed by a team of researchers from BGU.
The IcAR biosensing technology measures the binding functionality of PD-1 ligands, PD-L1 and PD-L2, to their receptor, PD-1. The researchers found that assessing the functionality of PD-1 ligands was an effective predictor to identify who will positively respond to anti-PD-1 and clinically benefit from this treatment – answering a long-standing clinical question in the oncology industry. IcAR has excellent functionality, high predictive powers, utility across all cancer types and, potentially, for different immunotherapy treatments.
The IcAR technology enables the measurement of the functionality of any immuno-modulator targets in medical oncology, allowing physicians to understand which patients will respond best to anti-PD-1 therapies and tailor treatments accordingly, while sparing non-responders from ineffective treatment. In the future, this bioassay technology may help predict response to additional ICI therapies and could be used to tailor personalized treatment protocols.
