Medical technology company BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) announced a collaboratation agreement with life sciences company Labcorp to develop flow cytometry-based companion diagnostics intended to match patients with life-changing treatments for cancer and other diseases.

According to Labcorp Chief Scientific Officer Bill Hanlon, the collaboration is a step toward increasing the adoption of flow cytometry in oncology and other therapeutic areas and developing methods to help pair patients with appropriate treatments. Current companion diagnostic tests commonly use technologies such as immunohistochemistry, fluorescence in situ hybridization, polymerase chain reaction, next-generation sequencing, and imaging.

The agreement provides a framework for BD and Labcorp Drug Development to collaborate with pharmaceutical partners. The companies' joint offering ranges from exploratory panel development to U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of diagnostic and in vitro diagnostics kit manufacturing and distribution.