Adaptive Biotechnologies Corporation announced a multi-year, global translational collaboration with BeiGene to assess minimal residual disease (MRD) using clonoSEQ(R) assay technology across the company's pipeline of treatments for patients with lymphoid malignancies. MRD assessment is playing a growing role in clinical trials for lymphoid malignancies by providing an early measure of treatment response and serving as a potential endpoint, which may enable novel therapies to be made available to patients sooner. As the first and only standardized test authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for MRD assessment in bone marrow from patients with multiple myeloma or B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and blood or bone marrow from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), Adaptive's clonoSEQ assay technology is the test of choice among drug developers.

It has been included in global, label-enabling studies for a multitude of therapies approved over the past several years and is also now widely adopted in the clinic. It is used at all 33 National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) centers, and as data supporting its clinical utility mount, its use is also growing in the community setting. This multi-year agreement will cover existing and future programs and adds to Adaptive's growing list of translational collaborations with biopharmaceutical companies.

As part of the collaboration, MRD status based on Adaptive's clonoSEQ assay may be used as an endpoint in certain clinical trials to assess the depth and duration of response to BeiGene's investigational medicines in patients with lymphoid malignancies. Adaptive will receive an upfront payment and will be eligible to receive future milestone payments upon achievement of specific regulatory milestones in certain geographies.