DaVita Labs, a unit of US-based DaVita HealthCare Partners and Myriad RBM, a subsidiary of Myriad Genetics, have entered into a research collaboration to conduct protein biomarker discovery research in order to develop and commercialize diagnostic tests that are helpful in the treatment of dialysis patients.
The companies have identified potential opportunities where diagnostic tests utilising blood-based protein biomarkers could boost patients' quality of life whilst reducing the overall healthcare costs. The main focus will be on the prediction of vascular access failure.
DaVita Labs and DaVita Clinical Research president Chris Rucker said that the collaboration uses DaVita's proprietary biorepository that is intended to facilitate innovative research across renal disease.
"Myriad recognizes the value that the biorepository can bring to research and development activities, and we look forward to collaborating with Myriad on the research and development of novel diagnostics that could transform our industry," Rucker added.
Myriad president Craig Benson said, "We have extensive experience with research in kidney disease and inflammatory markers that we believe could increase the quality of care for dialysis patients."
Specimens taken from the DaVita biorepository will be processed on the Myriad RBM DiscoveryMAP platform in order to quantify over 300 important proteins.
DiscoveryMAP analyzes protein biomarkers correlated with inflammatory, metabolic and renal disease conditions that could have utility as diagnostic criteria for dialysis patients.
Myriad is likely to begin processing specimens related to this collaboration in 2014.
