Akoya Biosciences, STCC partner on SUPER study for cancer immunophenotyping

Akoya Biosciences (AKYA) announced a collaboration with the Singapore Translational Cancer Consortium on the STCC Unified PD1/PDL1 Evaluation of Response study. This initiative aims to identify and validate key biomarkers predicting response or refractoriness to immune checkpoint inhibitors using Akoya’s IO60 panel for spatial proteomic analysis. While PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors have revolutionized cancer treatment, patient responses vary widely. The SUPER study is the first study in Singapore, focusing on a unique case-control pan-cancer cohort of 200 patients -100 exceptional responders matched with 100 hyperprogressors to immune checkpoint inhibitors – which seeks to uncover the biological determinants of varied treatment outcomes. The SUPER Study will leverage Akoya’s IO60 panel, with other multiomic profiling modalities, to enhance biomarker-driven cancer treatment and improve patient outcomes. Key Objectives of the Study: To identify and validate the assay combination and biomarker profile that best predicts response or refractoriness to PD1/PDL1 inhibition. Develop a combinatorial assay kit/model that best predicts PD1/PDL1 treatment response for clinical applications. Establish a national biomarker discovery program for extreme responders – individuals that have an exceptionally favorable or unusually poor response to cancer treatment. As part of the collaboration, Akoya’s IO60 panel will be used to analyze the tumor microenvironment, providing insights into immune cell interactions and biomarker expression patterns in this matched cohort of patients. The study’s findings could have significant implications for future cancer immunotherapy approaches and healthcare cost optimization.