Biotech, US university partner on new ways to speed Sjögren’s diagnosis
Trinity to collaborate with UB on biomarker tests to detect disease early
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Trinity Biotech, which specializes in diagnostic test kits, is partnering with the University at Buffalo, New York (UB) to develop and commercialize new testing strategies to improve the detection of Sjögren’s disease and aid in its diagnosis.
“Sjögren’s is a significantly underdiagnosed condition that imposes a major burden on patients,” John Gillard, president and CEO of Trinity, said in a company press release that called the collaboration “a key strategic milestone.”
“Our partnership with the University at Buffalo represents another pivotal step toward building a premium reference lab offering anchored in innovation, clinical value, and proprietary science,” Gillard said.
Sjögren’s is one of the most common autoimmune disorders in the U.S., affecting approximately 4 million people, mostly women. The condition mainly affects the glands that produce tears and saliva, leading to its hallmark symptoms of dry eyes and a dry mouth. It can also affect multiple other tissues and organs, however.
Because Sjögren’s symptoms are often vague and can mimic other conditions — particularly when they extend beyond dry eyes and mouth — the disease is frequently misdiagnosed or diagnosed late. The new partners are hoping to change that through new diagnostic tests.
Reaching a Sjögren’s diagnosis typically requires a multistep approach: combining a person’s clinical history and physical exams with blood tests and, occasionally, a minor salivary gland biopsy. During a biopsy, a small tissue sample is collected for microscopic examination.
Such blood tests look for self-directed antibodies commonly associated with the disease, including anti-ANA, anti-SS-A, and SS-B antibodies. However, these aren’t present in every patient. When these tests come back negative, the so-called seronegative nature of the disease can cause even longer diagnostic delays.
Goal is faster, more accurate Sjögren’s diagnosis
The new collaboration between Trinity and UB aims to develop novel biomarker tests to improve the speed and accuracy of a Sjögren’s diagnosis. The partners will specifically focus on tests for the diagnosis of Sjögren’s in early stages and in seronegative patients.
Under the partnership, Trinity will codevelop and commercialize Sjögren’s biomarkers discovered by UB researchers. Trinity’s reference laboratory, which has been approved by the New York State Department of Health, will serve as a launch platform for the new assays, the company noted.
By facilitating collaborations like this one, we help translate cutting-edge discoveries from UB faculty labs into commercial diagnostics and therapies that can improve patient care.
This collaboration was facilitated by UB’s business and entrepreneur partnership’s technology transfer office, which handles the university’s intellectual property and coordinates partnerships with industry.
“UB Business and Entrepreneur Partnerships connects industry with the university’s world-class research expertise and innovation ecosystem,” said Per Stromhaug, UB’s senior associate vice president for economic development. “By facilitating collaborations like this one, we help translate cutting-edge discoveries from UB faculty labs into commercial diagnostics and therapies that can improve patient care.”
Funding to advance the discovery of the proprietary biomarkers that formed the basis for this collaboration was in part from the UB Business and Entrepreneur Partnership’s Center for Advanced Technology in Big Data and Health Sciences (UB CAT). That program helps fund university research aimed at industry partnerships.
“UB CAT’s milestone-driven, multi-year funding model delivers sustained support during the critical early stages of product development, equipping companies with the R&D momentum necessary to accelerate their path to commercialization,” said Smitha James, senior associate director of life sciences programs and the UB CAT at UB Business and Entrepreneur Partnerships.
