AN IMMUNOTHRAPY BLOOD TEST
The Test
CHECKMARK® is the second Martell test available at point-of-care.
Martell is committed to providing proteomic blood immunoassays as an adjunct to cancer management.
We are currently in development of immunoassays for an additional six tumor biomarkers.
CHECKMARK®, monitors serum levels of PD-L1. PD-1/PD-L1 (programmed death receptor-1/programmed death-ligand 1) binding is an important mechanism often regulating tumor growth. Recognition of this has led to the introduction of new drugs called checkpoint inhibitors. The important yet expensive treatment could be better managed by using a monitoring blood test.
(Combined positive score (CPS) is the number of PD-L1 staining cells (tumor cells, lymphocytes, macrophages) divided by the total number of viable tumor cells, multiplied by 100.)
Soluble PD-L1 promises to be an important marker of native immunity: rising serum PD-L1 (sPD-L1) levels seem to portend immune failure in patients with clear cell renal carcinoma. Additionally, in a baseline study of 32 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer, all had elevated sPD-L1, but patients with higher levels were less responsive to nivolumab.
Of the four criteria of tumor biomarker monitoring, CHECKMARK® monitoring
has prognostic value independent of tissue testing. We support efforts to
evaluate the role of CHECKMARK® in selecting and evaluating pembrolizumab and nivolumab treatment.