Janssen and Celsius Therapeutics Announce Collaboration to Leverage Single-Cell Genomics for Biomarker Discovery in Ulcerative Colitis

Celsius Therapeutics, a biotechnology company dedicated to developing precision therapies for autoimmune diseases and cancer through breakthrough single-cell genomic sequencing technologies, announced today that it has entered into a collaboration agreement with Janssen Biotech. Celsius will apply its proprietary single-cell genomics and machine learning platform to identify biomarkers predictive of drug response from Janssen’s Phase 2a VEGA clinical trial. The VEGA trial is designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of combination therapy with the monoclonal antibodies guselkumab and golimumab for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC).

Studies have shown that the onset of many diseases is triggered by the combined dysfunction of several specific cell types and their interactions. Traditional genomic sequencing cannot identify genomic changes in individual cells, but only reveals average values, potentially missing certain key determinants.

Through single-cell RNA sequencing, Celsius can profile gene expression in individual cells one by one, constructing large-scale datasets of high complexity. By applying machine learning algorithms, it identifies disease-causing specific cell populations and gene sets associated with functional abnormalities. Celsius’s innovative approach is poised to overcome the limitations of traditional genomic sequencing methods and delineate a novel pathway for targeted drug discovery by pinpointing pathogenic genes, holding promise for transformative advances in the treatment of autoimmune diseases and cancer.

▲Key R&D Focus Areas of Celsius (Image source: Celsius official website)

Dr. Christoph Lengauer, Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Celsius, stated, “Celsius has established an industrialized platform capable of continuously processing intact patient samples at scale and rapidly integrating and querying large datasets generated from global multicenter trials. The longitudinal patient datasets and sample-level information generated through this large-scale trial will enable Celsius and Johnson & Johnson to extract deep molecular and cellular insights, with the ultimate goal of delivering better treatments for patients.”

Dr. Tariq Kassum, CEO of Celsius, stated, “Celsius is pleased to partner with Janssen. Janssen has long been committed to improving the lives of patients with inflammatory bowel disease. This collaboration marks Celsius’s first industry partnership. It will serve as a model demonstrating how other companies can leverage Celsius’s integrated platform to identify specific patients who may benefit from existing or investigational therapies, while also adding targets and data to Celsius’s drug discovery engine.”

References:

[1] Celsius Therapeutics inks first biopharma deal—an IBD study with Janssen. Retrieved July 9, 2019, from https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/celsius-therapeutics-inks-first-biopharma-deal-ibd-study-janssen

[2] Celsius Therapeutics Signs Collaboration Agreement with Janssen to Identify Response Biomarkers for Ulcerative Colitis. Retrieved July 9, 2019, from https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190709005089/en/Celsius-Therapeutics-Signs-Collaboration-Agreement-Janssen-Identify

[3] Celsius Therapeutics official website. Retrieved July 9, 2019, from https://celsiustx.com/

Headline: Express | Janssen Enters R&D Collaboration to Leverage Single-Cell Genomics in New Drug Development

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