Canon U.S. Life Sciences will use T2 Biosystems’ T2 Magnetic Resonance (T2MR) technology platform as part of a collaboration by the companies to develop a new diagnostic test panel to rapidly detect Lyme disease.

The partnership could generate up to $8.5 million for T2 Biosystems, which will retain exclusive worldwide commercialization rights for any products developed through the collaboration, including sales, marketing, and distribution rights.

T2MR is designed to detect targets such as DNA, RNA, bacteria, fungi, viruses, chromosomal mutations, circulating RNA, and polymorphisms directly from complex samples, including whole blood, without sample purification and analyte extraction.

T2 Biosystems is looking to apply T2MR toward developing applications aimed at helping medical professionals make targeted treatment decisions earlier. The company has two marketed, FDA-cleared diagnostic products targeting sepsis—T2Dx and T2Candida. Both focus on Candida, the most lethal form of common bloodstream infections that cause sepsis. The company is also using T2MR to develop T2Stat, a compact diagnostic designed to provide hemostasis measurements in 20 minutes or less.

“We believe T2MR may be able to provide accurate results in hours instead of weeks, which could positively impact outcomes for patients and reduce the cost of Lyme disease to the healthcare system,” John McDonough, president and CEO of T2 Biosystems, said in a statement. “We look forward to partnering with Canon to work towards developing and bringing this important diagnostic test panel to market.”

Added Akiko Tanaka, vice president and COO, Canon U.S. Life Sciences: “We believe combining our collective expertise with T2 Biosystems' proprietary T2MR platform may enable us to develop a fully differentiated diagnostic panel for the detection of Lyme disease, an area of critical need where delays in providing appropriate treatment to patients can result in significant morbidity and unnecessary costs.”

Founded in 2002, Canon U.S. Life Sciences, is the clinical diagnostics subsidiary of Canon U.S.A., focused on developing potential applications of Canon's core technologies within life sciences—especially in diagnostics and medical instrumentation.

Under the companies’ multiyear strategic agreement, Canon U.S. Life Sciences agreed to pay T2 Biosystems $2 million upfront toward the total $8.5 million, with the remainder being payments tied to achieving developmental and regulatory milestones.

However, Canon U.S. Life Sciences will receive royalty payments on all product sales resulting from the collaboration, and will join T2 Biosystems in exploring “operational areas to work together and additional diagnostic product opportunities in the future,” the companies stated.

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