Nordic Bioscience has announced that its CPa9-HNE biomarker assay has received a Letter of Support (LoS) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This support highlights the potential of CPa9-HNE as a tool for patient enrichment in clinical trials and for monitoring disease activity.
Quantifying Neutrophil Activation in IBD
CPa9-HNE is a biomarker that measures a fragment of calprotectin S100a9, which is produced by human neutrophil elastase. It is found in the serum and plasma of individuals with IBD and quantifies activated neutrophils, offering a non-invasive indicator of disease activity. Neutrophils are key immune cells that contribute to the pathology of IBD, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, which are often the focus of drug evaluations in clinical trials. The ability to accurately measure neutrophil activation can provide valuable insights into disease progression and treatment response.
Potential Applications in Clinical Trials
According to Joachim Høg Mortensen, Scientific Director of Gastrointestinal Diseases at Nordic Bioscience, the Letter of Support underscores the potential of CPa9-HNE to be used as a patient-enriching tool for clinical trials. By identifying patients more likely to have moderate or severe endoscopic disease activity, CPa9-HNE can significantly streamline patient recruitment, ensuring that the right patient profiles are targeted. This can lead to more efficient and informative clinical trials.
Monitoring Disease Activity and Treatment Response
In addition to its use in patient selection, CPa9-HNE, as a serum calprotectin biomarker, provides a blood-based measure of disease activity. This offers the potential for monitoring disease activity and treatment response in IBD patients. The ability to track changes in neutrophil activation levels over time can help clinicians assess the effectiveness of different therapies and make informed treatment decisions.
Nordic Bioscience's Expertise in Biomarker Technology
Nordic Bioscience has a long-standing history in ECM remodeling research and has previously received FDA Letters of Support for its PRO-C3 and PRO-C6 biomarkers. The company has also transferred the FDA-approved bone biomarker CTX-I and fibrogenesis biomarker PRO-C3 to the Roche COBAS platform. With a portfolio of over 125 ELISA biomarkers developed to quantify unique ECM fragments, Nordic Bioscience's tools are used across all stages of drug development and patient selection in various diseases. Morten A. Karsdal, CEO of Nordic Bioscience, emphasized that the CPa9-HNE Letter of Support is a landmark achievement, highlighting the company's scientific excellence and regulatory success.
