GSK to use Owlstone’s breath biopsy device in Phase II COPD trial

GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK) is slated to use Owlstone Medical‘s breath biopsy device in a phase II trial of its drug for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, danirixin.

The diagnostics company’s breathalyzer will be used to help GSK identify which patients will most benefit from the drug, as well as evaluate the effects of danirixin, according to the pharma company.

Owlstone Medical’s ReCiva breath sampler, which has CE Mark clearance, captures volatile organic compounds in breath samples from patients. A patient’s VOC profile can be used to non-invasively diagnose disease at a very early stage and monitor treatment response, the company touted.

“We are very pleased to work with GSK as they lead the way in using breath VOC profiling to better understand a new drug’s treatment effects and its mechanism. Our growing precision medicine business not only provides opportunities for near-term revenue expansion, but also deepens the pipeline of applications for breath biopsy,” Owlstone co-founder & CEO, Billy Boyle, said in prepared remarks.

“We believe that the non-invasive breath biopsy can rapidly establish a central role in a variety of precision medicine applications such as patient stratification and monitoring treatment response. We intend to work with multiple pharmaceutical partners looking to optimize the health economic impact of their new medicines across a broad range of diseases by providing access to the data needed to ensure that the right therapy is given to the right patient at the right time.”

“As part of our efforts to identify the right patient for the right treatment, we are pleased to include breath biopsy for the first time in one of our clinical trials,” GSK’s VP of medicine development & senior respiratory fellow, Dr. Ruth Tal-Singer, added. “We hope that exploration of volatile compounds in breath will provide a tool to identify COPD patients who could benefit most from our medicines. We look forward to analyzing the results generated from breath biopsy when available.”

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