Metrion Biosciences Launches Nav1.9 High-Throughput Screening Assay to Strengthen Screening Portfolio and Advance Research on New Medicines for Pain
CAMBRIDGE, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 28, 2025--
Metrion Biosciences ('Metrion'), the specialist preclinical contract research organisation (CRO) and a global leader in ion channel services, today announced the launch of its validated, high-throughput Na V 1.9 screening assay to advance discovery and development of novel pain therapeutics. Leveraging over a decade of electrophysiology expertise, the Na V 1.9 assay, alongside Metrion's unique combination of ion channel expertise, bespoke assays and pain research services, enables researchers to overcome traditional limitations of Na V 1.9 screening and generate reproducible and decision-ready data.
Na V 1.9 is a voltage-gated sodium channel selectively expressed in peripheral sensory neurones that plays a key role in pain signalling. Mutations in Na V 1.9 are associated with both severe pain and pain insensitivity in humans. Despite its potential as a non-opioid therapeutic target, research has been limited by difficulties developing stable heterologous expression systems.
Metrion's new Na V 1.9 assay complements the Company's existing portfolio of efficacy and safety screening assays, adding new capabilities to accelerate and de-risk preclinical programmes, unlocking deeper insights into Na V 1.9 pharmacology. Designed using a stable and validated CHO cell line, the assay has been developed and optimised in-house for high reproducibility and low variability and is available using both human- and rat-derived clones, providing insights into species selectivity for the development of more efficacious therapeutics.
The assay completes the Company's full suite of pain-related sodium channel assays to provide selectivity profiling across Na V 1.1 to Na V 1.9. Metrion's offering features a comprehensive portfolio of off-target counter screens, including other pain related ion channel targets and a CiPA panel for cardiac safety risk assessment. The Company also provides access to manual clamp-based mechanistic and translational assays, and automated patch clamp using the Qube 384 to provide highly sensitive, rapid analysis of large candidate libraries. Additional support for hit-to-lead and lead optimisation, streamlining compound evaluation and reducing project timelines is also provided.
' The availability of effective assays to study the Na V 1.9 sodium channel has been a major stumbling block that has held back development of the next generation of non-opioid pain therapeutics,'saidDr Eddy Stevens, Chief Scientific Officer, Metrion Biosciences.'Metrion is now able to offer a unique combination of sodium channel expertise, high-throughput screening solutions and research services. These cover the full suite of pain-related sodium channels. By facilitating streamlined compound evaluation and accelerated lead optimisation, this service offering has the potential to bring novel pain therapeutics to market rapidly and more cost-effectively. This important launch represents a major milestone for Metrion, a testament to the dedication and knowledge of our team and reinforces our position as leading the field in ion channel drug discovery. '
To find out more about Metrion's unique approach to unlock Na V 1.9 for breakthrough pain treatments, please visit: www.metrionbiosciences.com/neuroscience/nav1-9-assays/
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INDUSTRY KEYWORD: HEALTH HEALTH TECHNOLOGY CLINICAL TRIALS RESEARCH SCIENCE PHARMACEUTICAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
SOURCE: Metrion Biosciences
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PUB: 04/28/2025 04:20 AM/DISC: 04/28/2025 04:19 AM
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About Genmab Genmab is an international biotechnology company with a core purpose of guiding its unstoppable team to strive toward improving the lives of patients with innovative and differentiated antibody therapeutics. For 25 years, its passionate, innovative and collaborative team has invented next-generation antibody technology platforms and leveraged translational, quantitative and data sciences, resulting in a proprietary pipeline including bispecific T-cell engagers, antibody-drug conjugates, next-generation immune checkpoint modulators and effector function-enhanced antibodies. By 2030, Genmab's vision is to transform the lives of people with cancer and other serious diseases with knock-your-socks-off (KYSO ®) antibody medicines. Established in 1999, Genmab is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, with international presence across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. For more information, please visit and follow us on LinkedIn and X. This Media Release contains forward looking statements. The words 'believe,' 'expect,' 'anticipate,' 'intend' and 'plan' and similar expressions identify forward looking statements. Actual results or performance may differ materially from any future results or performance expressed or implied by such statements. The important factors that could cause our actual results or performance to differ materially include, among others, risks associated with preclinical and clinical development of products, uncertainties related to the outcome and conduct of clinical trials including unforeseen safety issues, uncertainties related to product manufacturing, the lack of market acceptance of our products, our inability to manage growth, the competitive environment in relation to our business area and markets, our inability to attract and retain suitably qualified personnel, the unenforceability or lack of protection of our patents and proprietary rights, our relationships with affiliated entities, changes and developments in technology which may render our products or technologies obsolete, and other factors. For a further discussion of these risks, please refer to the risk management sections in Genmab's most recent financial reports, which are available on and the risk factors included in Genmab's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F and other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which are available at Genmab does not undertake any obligation to update or revise forward looking statements in this Media Release nor to confirm such statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances after the date made or in relation to actual results, unless required by law. Genmab A/S and/or its subsidiaries own the following trademarks: Genmab ®; the Y-shaped Genmab logo ®; Genmab in combination with the Y-shaped Genmab logo ®; HuMax ®; DuoBody ®; HexaBody ®; DuoHexaBody ®, HexElect ® and KYSO™. EPCORE ®, EPKINLY ®, TEPKINLY ® and their designs are trademarks of AbbVie Biotechnology Ltd. i Engelberts PJ, et al. DuoBody-CD3xCD20 Induces Potent T-Cell-Mediated Killing of Malignant B Cells in Preclinical Models and Provides Opportunities for Subcutaneous Dosing. EBioMedicine
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The panel will be validated using the next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology and the Illumina NextSeq 550Dx platform as part of QIAGEN's partnership with Illumina (NASDAQ: ILMN) to leverage its NGS diagnostic platforms for patient testing by laboratories worldwide. QIAGEN will support regulatory submission processes and market access activities across the United States, European Union and Asia-Pacific regions. Myeloproliferative neoplasms are a group of diseases representing about 40% of hematological malignancies, characterized by chronic accumulation of different mature blood cell types in blood. Identifying genomic aberrations in clinically relevant biomarkers like CALR are shown to be key, especially in MPNs. Incyte is at the forefront of developing novel therapies, including INCA033989 for patients with mutCALR ET or MF, that target only malignant cells, sparing normal cells. The use of companion diagnostics helps guide clinicians in making treatment decisions that can lead to better patient outcomes. 'Following our presentation of positive, late-breaking data from our first-in-class mutCALR-targeted antibody at EHA, we are excited to announce this partnership with QIAGEN, which will facilitate CALR testing for patients with MPNs on a global basis. The development of companion diagnostics for mutCALR, coupled with the potential for new medicines to selectively target disease-initiating cells, is a critical step toward changing the course of disease in patients with ET and MF,' said Pablo J. Cagnoni, M.D., President and Head of Research and Development, Incyte. 'As a partner, QIAGEN has the proven expertise in companion diagnostics development and approvals needed to support our ongoing work and commitment to transforming the treatment of patients with CALR-mutant MPNs.' 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Somatic, or non-inherited, DNA mutations in the CALR gene (mutCALR) can result in abnormal protein function and lead to the development of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), i a closely related group of clonal blood cancers in which the bone marrow functions abnormally, overproducing blood cells. ii,iii Among the two types of MPNs, essential thrombocythemia (ET) and myelofibrosis (MF), mutCALR drives 25-35% of all cases. i,ii About QIAGEN QIAGEN N.V., a Netherlands-based holding company, is the leading global provider of Sample to Insight solutions, enabling customers to extract and gain valuable molecular insights from samples containing the building blocks of life. Our Sample technologies isolate and process DNA, RNA and proteins from blood, tissue and other materials. Assay technologies prepare these biomolecules for analysis while bioinformatics software and knowledge bases can be used to interpret data to find actionable insights. Automation solutions bring these processes together into seamless and cost-effective workflows. QIAGEN serves over 500,000 customers globally in Life Sciences (academia, pharma R&D and industrial applications, primarily forensics) and Molecular Diagnostics for clinical healthcare. As of March 31, 2025, QIAGEN employed approximately 5,700 people in over 35 locations worldwide. For more information, visit QIAGEN is a pioneer in precision medicine and the leader in collaborating with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to develop companion diagnostics, having more than 30 master collaboration agreements with global pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to develop and commercialize diagnostic tests. QIAGEN's offering to these companies encompasses technologies ranging from polymerase chain reaction (PCR), near-patient testing and digital PCR (dPCR) to next-generation sequencing (NGS), and sample types from liquid biopsy to tissue. It also spans disease areas from cancer to non-oncology diseases such as neurodegenerative, inflammatory, and metabolic diseases – including 16 FDA-approved PCR-based companion diagnostics. For more information about QIAGEN's efforts in precision medicine please visit About Incyte A global biopharmaceutical company on a mission to Solve On., Incyte follows the science to find solutions for patients with unmet medical needs. Through the discovery, development and commercialization of proprietary therapeutics, Incyte has established a portfolio of first-in-class medicines for patients and a strong pipeline of products in Oncology and Inflammation & Autoimmunity. Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, Incyte has operations in North America, Europe and Asia. For additional information on Incyte, please visit or follow us on social media: LinkedIn, X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube. QIAGEN Forward-Looking Statement Certain statements in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements, including those regarding QIAGEN's products, development timelines, marketing and / or regulatory approvals, financial and operational outlook, growth strategies, collaborations and operating results - such as expected adjusted net sales and adjusted diluted earnings - are based on current expectations and assumptions. However, they involve uncertainties and risks. These risks include, but are not limited to, challenges in managing growth and international operations (including the effects of currency fluctuations, regulatory processes and logistical dependencies), variability in operating results, commercial development for our products to customers in the Life Sciences and clinical healthcare, changes in relationships with customers, suppliers or strategic partners; competition and rapid technological advancements; fluctuating demand for QIAGEN's products due to factors such as economic conditions, customer budgets and funding cycles; obtaining and maintaining regulatory approvals for our products; difficulties in successfully adapting QIAGEN's products into integrated solutions and producing these products; and protecting product differentiation from competitors. Additional uncertainties may arise from market acceptance of new products, integration of acquisitions, governmental actions, global or regional economic developments, natural disasters, political or public health crises, and other "force majeure" events. There is also no guarantee that anticipated benefits from restructuring programs and acquisitions will materialize as expected. For a comprehensive overview of risks, please refer to the 'Risk Factors' contained in our most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F and other reports filed with or furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Incyte Forward-Looking Statements Except for the historical information set forth herein, the matters set forth in this press release, including statements regarding the potential for Incyte's mut-CALR targeted antibody (INCA033989) to provide a potential treatment option for patients with ET or MF, contain predictions, estimates and other forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on Incyte's current expectations and subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including unanticipated developments in and risks related to: unanticipated delays; further research and development and the results of clinical trials possibly being unsuccessful or insufficient to meet applicable regulatory standards or warrant continued development; the ability to enroll sufficient numbers of subjects in clinical trials; determinations made by the FDA, EMA, and other regulatory authorities; the efficacy or safety of Incyte and its partners' products; the acceptance of Incyte and its partners' products in the marketplace; market competition; sales, marketing, manufacturing and distribution requirements; and other risks detailed from time to time in our reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including our annual report on Form 10-K and our quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2025. Incyte disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements. Source: QIAGEN N.V. Category: Precision Medicine
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Share The studies evaluated the safety and efficacy of INCA033989 in patients with ET as measured by hematologic response and reduction in mutCALR variant allele frequency (VAF). Results as of April 4, 2025, showed rapid and durable normalization of platelet counts across all dose levels, with a trend toward improved responses in higher doses (>400 mg), in patients with ET treated with INCA033989. Notably, 86% of patients at doses 400 mg and above achieved a complete or partial hematologic response, with the majority (82%) of patients achieving complete response. Eighty-nine (89) percent of evaluable patients (34/38) showed a reduction in mutCALR VAF from baseline. A partial molecular response (>50% VAF reduction) was observed in 21% of evaluable patients (8/38) after only 3 cycles of treatment. An exploratory study using single-cell DNA (scDNA) sequencing showed that INCA033989 directly targets and reduces cells carrying mutCALR. This reduction was seen in early blood-forming (CD34-positive) cells and cells in the myeloid-erythroid (ME) lineage. At the same time, there was a clear increase in healthy (wild-type CALR) cells, suggesting that the treatment supports the return of normal blood production. Bone marrow biopsies further confirmed these effects showing fewer megakaryocytes with mutCALR protein and a notable increase in megakaryocytes without mutCALR protein. Together, these findings demonstrate the selectivity of INCA033989, allowing for normalization of healthy hematopoiesis and disease modification. 'The late-breaking data presented today highlight the impact of INCA033989, a novel agent that selectively targets mutant CALR, to inhibit and eliminate cancer-causing cells in patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET), while sparing healthy cells and normalizing healthy blood production," said Pablo J. Cagnoni, M.D., President, Head of Research and Development, Incyte. 'These findings, and the further development of INCA033989, offer the potential to significantly transform the treatment of patients with CALR-mutant myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs).' The results (N=49) showed that INCA033989 was well tolerated across all dose cohorts (24 to 2,500 mg), with no dose-limiting toxicities observed. Only one (1) patient discontinued treatment, and only one (1) dose reduction due to treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) was observed. No infusion interruptions due to TEAEs were reported, and a maximum tolerated dose was not reached. Forty-two (42) patients across the dose cohorts reported a TEAE. The most common TEAEs were fatigue (26.5%) and upper respiratory tract infection (20.4%), all of which were Grade ≤2. Thirteen (13) patients had Grade >3 TEAEs, with transient asymptomatic lipase increase as the most common (6%). 'mutCALR is the second most common oncogenic driver of MPNs, yet the therapeutic landscape lacks a targeted agent for mutCALR expressing MPNs. Currently, ET treatments aim to prevent vascular complications and improve symptoms but are limited by toxicity and tolerability issues,' said John Mascarenhas, M.D., Professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai and Director, Center of Excellence for Blood Cancers and Myeloid Disorders, The Tisch Cancer Institute. 'These data support the hypothesis that INCA033989 has the potential not only to normalize platelet counts and provide rapid and durable hematologic responses – but to induce molecular responses, which could potentially change the natural history of the disease.' Additional data from the INCA033989 study in patients with myelofibrosis will be submitted for presentation at a future medical meeting. Discussions with regulatory authorities are planned with the goal to initiate a Phase 3 study by early 2026. More information regarding the EHA2025 Congress and the data from Incyte's hematology/oncology portfolio being featured at the meeting can be found on the EHA website: Incyte Conference Call and Webcast Incyte will host an in-person analyst and investor event on Sunday, June 15, 2025, from 6:00 - 7:30 a.m. ET (12:00 - 1:30 p.m. CEST) to discuss key mutCALR data presented at EHA. The event will be webcasted and can be accessed via the Events and Presentations tab of the Investor section of and it will be available for replay for 30 days. About Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are a closely related group of blood cancers in which the bone marrow functions abnormally. The bone marrow is where the body's blood cells are made. MPNs are progressive blood cancers that can strike anyone at any age, but they are more common in older adults. Estimates of the prevalence of MPNs vary, but analysis of claims data suggests there may be as many as 200,000 people in the U.S. living with the most prevalent MPNs: myelofibrosis, polycythemia vera or essential thrombocythemia (ET). 1 About Mutations in Calreticulin (mutCALR) Calreticulin (CALR) is a protein involved in the regulation of cellular calcium levels and normal protein folding. Somatic, or non-inherited, DNA mutations in the CALR gene (mutCALR) can result in abnormal protein function and lead to the development of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), 2 a closely related group of clonal blood cancers in which the bone marrow functions abnormally, overproducing blood cells. 3,4 Among two types of MPNs, essential thrombocythemia (ET) and myelofibrosis (MF), mutCALR drives 25-35% of all cases. 2,3 There are approximately 60,000 patients in the U.S. and Europe with mutCALR positive ET. 5 Incyte is at the forefront of developing novel therapies for patients with mutCALR ET or MF that target only malignant cells, sparing normal cells, including INCA033989, a first-in-class, mutCALR-specific therapy. About the INCA033989 Trial Program The clinical trial program for INCA033989 includes two multicenter, open-label Phase 1 studies, INCA33989-101 (NCT05936359) and INCA33989-102 (NCT06034002), enrolling ~225 patients outside of the U.S. and ~140 patients in the U.S., respectively. The studies are evaluating the safety, tolerability, dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) and maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and/or recommended dose(s) for expansion (RDE) of INCA033989 administered as a monotherapy or in combination with ruxolitinib in patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), including essential thrombocythemia (ET) and myelofibrosis (MF). The intent of Part 1A (dose escalation) is to identify the MTD and/or the RDE of INCA033989 among patients with MF and ET. In Part 1A INCA033989 is administered intravenously every two weeks at a protocol defined dose ranging from 24 mg. to 2,500 mg. In Part 1B (dose expansion), INCA033989 is administered at the RDE(s) identified during Part 1A. The primary endpoint of the studies focuses on safety and tolerability as measured by: the number of participants with DLTs up to 28 days, the number of participants with treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) up to 3 years and 60 days, and the number of participants with TEAEs leading to dose modification or discontinuation up to 3 years and 60 days. Secondary endpoints include response rates, mean change of ET total symptom score from baseline, percentage of MF patients achieving spleen volume reduction, MF patient anemia response, mean change in disease-related allele burden and various pharmacokinetics measures up to 3 years and 60 days. For more information on the study, please visit: and About Incyte A global biopharmaceutical company on a mission to Solve On., Incyte follows the science to find solutions for patients with unmet medical needs. Through the discovery, development and commercialization of proprietary therapeutics, Incyte has established a portfolio of first-in-class medicines for patients and a strong pipeline of products in Oncology and Inflammation & Autoimmunity. Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, Incyte has operations in North America, Europe and Asia. For additional information on Incyte, please visit or follow us on social media: LinkedIn, X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube. Forward-Looking Statements Except for the historical information set forth herein, the matters set forth in this press release, including statements regarding the presentation of data for Incyte's anti-mutCALR monoclonal antibody (INCA033989), the potential this monoclonal antibody offers for patients, and expectations regarding ongoing and future clinical trials contain predictions, estimates, and other forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on Incyte's current expectations and subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including unanticipated developments in and risks related to: further research and development and the results of clinical trials possibly being unsuccessful or insufficient to meet applicable regulatory standards or warrant continued development; the ability to enroll sufficient numbers of subjects in clinical trials and the ability to enroll subjects in accordance with planned schedules; determinations made by the FDA, EMA and other regulatory agencies; Incyte's dependence on its relationships with and changes in the plans of its collaboration partners; the efficacy or safety of Incyte's products and the products of Incyte's collaboration partners; the acceptance of Incyte's products and the products of Incyte's collaboration partners in the marketplace; market competition; unexpected variations in the demand for Incyte's products and the products of Incyte's collaboration partners; the effects of announced or unexpected price regulation or limitations on reimbursement or coverage for Incyte's products and the products of Incyte's collaboration partners; sales, marketing, manufacturing and distribution requirements, including Incyte's and its collaboration partners' ability to successfully commercialize and build commercial infrastructure for newly approved products and any additional products that become approved; greater than expected expenses, including expenses relating to litigation or strategic activities; variations in foreign currency exchange rates; and other risks detailed in Incyte's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on form 10-K and our quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2025. Incyte disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
