Adaptive Biotechnologies, a Seattle-based developer of next generation sequencing assays, has entered into a collaboration agreement with Bristol-Myers Squibb for the discovery of immunological biomarkers in oncology.

Adaptive will use its proprietary immune profiling assay, immunoSEQ, to identify potential biomarkers that may inform about drug response. The immunoSEQ assay uses high throughput next-generation sequencing to characterize the repertoire of T and B cell receptors. Application of this technology is being explored in cells of cancer patients, to assess the impact of treatments on the immune system and evaluated as a tool to identify patient populations who might be more likely to respond to targeted therapies based on their immune status.

“We are delighted to collaborate with Bristol-Myers Squibb to help uncover immunological biomarkers of response to cancer agents,” said Chad Robins, CEO and founder of Adaptive Biotechnologies. “Collaborating with Bristol-Myers Squibb is a real win for companies like ours that are committed to deepening the understanding of the interaction between the host immune system and the cancer cells themselves.”