Business
BIO-FLARE Collaboration
BIO-FLARE Collaboration.
About this update from Oxford Biodynamics Plc
[{"type":"text","content":"\n \nRNS Number : 7824Z Oxford BioDynamics PLC 17 March 2017 \n\n \n17 March 2017\n \nOxford BioDynamics Plc\n(\"OBD\" or the \"Company\" and, together with its subsidiaries, the \"Group\")\n \nOxford BioDynamics announces collaboration to identify biological factors that trigger disease relapses in Rheumatoid Arthritis\n \nCollaboration awarded £2.8 million from the Medical Research Council\n \nOxford BioDynamics Plc (AIM: OBD), a revenue-generating biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of novel epigenetic biomarkers for use within the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, announces its participation in a collaboration to identify the biological factors that trigger disease relapses, known as flares, in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), entitled the BIO-FLARE study (Biological factors that limit sustained remission in Rheumatoid Arthritis).\n \nOxford BioDynamics is one of six consortium partners to examine and address why immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) remit and relapse, with a particular focus on RA. The consortium, which consists of three UK universities, one German commercial company, the NHS and Oxford Biodynamics, has been awarded a £2.8 million from the Medical Research Council (MRC).\n \nAround 10 million people in the UK have a form of arthritis, of which almost 700,000 have RA. There is no known cure for the condition, which causes joint pain and swelling, stiffness and fatigue. Without adequate therapy, the average life expectancy for a patient with RA may be shortened by 3-7 years, and those with severe forms of RA may die as much as 10-15 years earlier than expected.1 \n \nOxford BioDynamics' role within the consortium is to use its technology platform, EpiSwitch™, to identify epigenetic biomarkers in a RA patient population that are associated with impending relapse in RA. Any resultant IP generated by Oxford BioDynamics will be retained by the Company with the aim of developing a prognostic test that has the potential to accurately predict patients that are likely to have RA flares. \n \nChristian Hoyer Millar, CEO of Oxford BioDynamics, commented:\n \n\"Whilst a considerable amount is understood about RA aetiology and pathogenesis, nothing is known of the factors that trigger disease relapses, changing...