Nodality, a San Francisco-based personalized medicine biotech, has formed a strategic collaboration to provide proprietary single cell network profiling (SCNP) technology as a tool for the development of Pfizer compounds.

The agreement establishes a multi-year, collaborative effort that will initially focus on providing biological bases for streamlining the development of potential Pfizer compounds for autoimmune disease with an initial focus on Lupus, including characterizing mechanisms of action, disease analysis and drug profiling. The agreement also provides Pfizer the option to engage Nodality in companion diagnostics development. The terms of the agreement include an upfront payment, R&D funding and success-based milestone payments.

"This collaboration, which is Nodality's second major strategic pharma partnership this year, provides continuing validation of the value the SCNP platform technology can bring to drug development,” said Michael Goldberg, executive chairman and interim CEO, Nodality.

"Our partnership with Nodality exemplifies Pfizer's commitment to precision medicine by providing us with earlier insight into a compound's potential clinical profile, which can help reduce attrition rates, accelerate development and improve patient targeting,” said Jose-Carlos Gutierrez-Ramos, senior vice president of biotherapeutics R&D, Pfizer.

Pfizer Venture Investments has been an investor in Nodality since 2008.