Quintiles has invested in a new company, Oxford Cancer Biomarkers, formed to provide oncology consulting services and new cancer biomarkers. The company will develop biomarkers using CancerNav, a DNA- and protein-based assay technology platform invented by Nick La Thangue, Ph.D., chair of Cancer Biology at Oxford University. David Kerr, CBE, DSc, M.D, FMedSci., professor of Cancer Medicine at the University of Oxford, will serve as the new company’s chief medical officer.

Quintiles is the largest shareholder and other major shareholders are the University of Oxford, and Professors La Thangue and Kerr. The company will have offices in Oxford and Reading, UK, and will have a strategic relationship with Quintiles Consulting and Quintiles Global Laboratories.

“Biomarkers hold great promise to improve trial success rates by identifying patient sub-groups most likely to respond to treatment, increasing the probability of trial success and improving patient safety,” said Ben Cons, vice president, Quintiles Corporate Development. “Quintiles’ investment in Oxford Cancer Biomarkers is further evidence of our commitment to provide biopharma and healthcare service providers with the tools, expertise and services needed to increase R&D productivity and speed, and better the lives of patients.”

Professor Kerr said, “We see this as a fantastic opportunity to pursue our vision of personalized medicine in which we aim to identify those cancer patients who are likely to benefit most from treatment. Our association with Quintiles is greatly welcomed and widens our access to some of the best cancer drug development teams on the planet.”