Debiopharm enters partnership with Biocartis aiming at enhancing personalized medicine

Debiopharm, a Swiss biopharmaceutical group with a focus on the development of innovative prescription drugs that target unmet medical needs, has announced an investment agreement with fellow Switzerland-based Biocartis. Financial details are not disclosed.

The two partners will furthermore cooperate in the field of companion diagnostics linked to the therapies developed by Debiopharm (in the oncology and infectious diseases areas). Debiopharm's contribution will be in the field of biomarkers, whilst Biocartis will use its recently-created molecular diagnostic platform

"Debiopharm understood a while ago the increasingly important role that companion diagnostics would play in the future," said Thierry Mauvernay, executive vice-president of Debiopharm, who added:"we are extremely happy not only to have started a new financial partnership with a start-up company, but also to start a cooperation in an area that is extremely relevant and promising from the perspective of personalized medicine and of the responsible use of financial resources. Biocartis, an early stage start-up company, has all the necessary strengths and management know-how to become a leading player in the field of in-vitro-diagnostics. Its potential combined with the disruptive technology it has created is perfectly in line with Debiopharm's own efforts at the frontline of innovation in life-sciences at large."