Singlera Genomics Inc. today announced a research collaboration with Astellas Pharma Inc. to develop methylation-based tools to better understand biological reactions to pharmaceuticals using Singlera's mTitan platform.

mTitan allows for the interrogation of rare circulating cell-free DNA methylation signals, and has previously been utilized to non-invasively detect cancer signals in blood four years prior to patients showing symptoms. By utilizing the platform in a pre-clinical drug development setting, this research collaboration aims to develop tools to obtain insights into biological responses during drug treatment.

"We are excited to collaborate with Astellas, a world leader in developing treatments for patients with unmet medical needs," said Qiang Liu, COO and co-founder of Singlera Genomics. "The use of Singlera's cutting-edge methylation technology in the drug development space will allow for a deeper understanding of the gene regulation consequences of therapeutic compounds."

Under the terms of the agreement, Singlera will design mTitan-based assays to aid in Astellas' preclinical drug development pipeline. The collaboration has the potential to result in a more rapid pipeline and aid in the development of effective therapies for patients with fewer side effects.

About Singlera Genomics Inc. (www.singleragenomics.com)
Founded in 2014, Singlera Genomics Inc. is a world leader in liquid biopsy and cancer early detection. By leveraging our deep expertise and broad experience in genome technology, Singlera offers a wide range of products and solutions covering Early Cancer Screening, Diagnostics, and Prognosis Monitoring for multiple types of cancers including lung, colorectal, liver, gastric, esophageal, pancreatic, thyroid, and more. The company has established Research & Development centers in Shanghai and San Diego, manufacturing facilities in Shanghai and Yangzhou, and commercial clinical labs in Shanghai, Taizhou, and Chengdu.