Biovica International, a Swedish company specializing in blood-based cancer monitoring, has secured a new work order valued at SEK 2.5 million for its TKa testing services. The agreement, signed with an unnamed clinical-stage biotech company based on the US East Coast, represents the third work order between the companies and brings their total partnership value to SEK 7 million.
The new testing program is scheduled to run for 1.5 years beginning in Q3 2025 and adds a third drug candidate and clinical study to the existing collaboration. This expansion further solidifies what appears to be developing into a long-term strategic partnership in oncology biomarker development.
Expanding Applications for TKa Biomarker Technology
Biovica's TKa biomarker is currently being employed in two ongoing Phase I clinical trials with this customer, each evaluating different drugs within the CDK inhibitor family. The biomarker technology measures cell proliferation by detecting the TKa biomarker in patients' bloodstream, providing insights into therapy effectiveness.
Henrik Winther, SVP of Business Development at Biovica, expressed optimism about the expanded collaboration: "We are excited to continue expanding our collaboration with this innovative biotech company. The ongoing trials, with multiple drugs running in parallel, show the broad applicability of our TKa biomarker in oncology development."
Winther further noted that with this new trial, TKa will be utilized in 16 different studies across the company's partnerships, "increasing the likelihood of TKa being validated as a companion biomarker for patient treatment monitoring and optimization."
Strategic Significance for Biovica's Pharma Services Business
This latest agreement falls within Biovica's Pharma Services business unit, representing a growing revenue stream separate from the company's diagnostic products. The recurring nature of these work orders suggests increasing industry confidence in Biovica's biomarker technology.
The US partner specializes in developing small molecule medicines for oncology targets, with a particular focus on the CDK inhibitor family of drugs. Biovica and the biotech firm have established a Master Service Agreement (MSA) that provides the framework for their ongoing collaboration.
TKa Technology Background
Biovica's primary technology, the DiviTum® TKa test, has received FDA 510(k) clearance in the US and is CE-marked in the EU. The first application for the DiviTum® TKa test is treatment monitoring of patients with metastatic breast cancer, though these ongoing trials suggest potential for broader applications across oncology.
The assay has demonstrated its ability to provide insight into therapy effectiveness in several clinical trials. By measuring cell proliferation through the TKa biomarker in blood samples, the technology offers a less invasive method for monitoring cancer progression and treatment response.
Market Position and Future Outlook
Biovica's shares are traded on the Nasdaq First North Premier Growth Market under the ticker BIOVIC B. The company's vision, "Improved care for cancer patients," aligns with the growing industry focus on precision medicine and biomarker-guided treatment decisions.
The volume and recurrence of work orders with this US partner appear to be strengthening Biovica's position in the competitive oncology biomarker space. As Henrik Winther stated, "The volume and recurrence of these work orders make me confident about the future."
With this expanded partnership, Biovica continues to build evidence supporting TKa as a valuable biomarker for cancer monitoring, potentially establishing it as a standard component in oncology drug development and patient care protocols.
