Potsdam and Berlin, Germany; March, 18, 2021: GILUPI GmbH and SCIENION AG today announced that the companies intend to intensify their collaboration in the field of single circulating tumor cell (CTC) analysis. CTCs are rare cells that can be found in the peripheral blood of cancer patients, often causing metastasis. Their potential in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer has initiated worldwide research towards new methods for the separation and detection of CTCs from whole blood.

GILUPI is the manufacturer of the GILUPI CellCollector®, the first CE labeled medical device for in vivo CTC collection, whereas SCIENION has developed the cellenONE® dispensing technology for low volume and high accuracy single cell isolation and dispensing. The companies believe that a combination of both technologies will create a reliable and efficient workflow from patient to result.

Dr. Holger Eickhoff, CEO of SCIENION AG points out: “Efficient isolation of rare cells combined with highly accurate dispensing is the foundation for molecular profiling of metastasis causing CTCs. GILUPI is one of the pioneers in enriching CTCs and we see a strong synergy in combining both technologies.”

Dr. Christian Jurinke, CEO of GILUPI GmbH comments: “We believe that molecular analysis of single CTCs is an important cornerstone of advanced and personalized cancer treatment. The technology of SCIENION is very well suited to enable molecular profiling of CTCs on a single cell level once they are isolated from the patients.”

Under this collaboration, the companies intend to develop a workflow that allows for the isolation of CTCs directly from the bloodstream of the patient and efficiently decollates them for single cell downstream molecular analysis such as next-generation sequencing, genotyping or digital PCR. The results can then be used in determining the drug response and to provide guidance on therapy.

Financial or other terms of the intended collaboration were not disclosed.

About GILUPI GmbH

GILUPI GmbH is a medical device company founded in 2006 with focus on the development and production of innovative products for the in vivo isolation of rare cells from the blood circulation. Currently, the main focus is the diagnostics market for cancer. The concept of personalized medicine becomes increasingly important in oncology. The identification of the right drug for the individual patient is todays challenge in clinical practice. To address this medical need, the GILUPI CellCollector® is used to enrich rare cells by immuno-capture directly in the patient’s bloodstream. This methodology has proven to yield highest cell numbers in various cancer types. Isolated cells can be characterized and analyzed down to a molecular level with immunostaining, DNA- or RNA-based methods. The GILUPI CellCollector® is the first in vivo CTC isolation product that is CE approved.

About SCIENION AG

SCIENION offers complete solutions for precise liquid dispensing applications enabling high throughput production of multiparameter assays in diagnostics, and life and material sciences. Addressing the dynamically increasing needs for miniaturization and multiplex analyses, SCIENION offers a unique technology portfolio that has been continuously expanded for 20 years. SCIENION provides flexible solutions for research and development, wherein solutions for production purposes are customized. Systems and software are characterized by their versatility, precision and robustness. The company is a renowned specialist for ultra-low volume liquid handling, particularly for the handling of precious and sensitive compounds of biological or chemical origin. SCIENION’s dispensers allow for contact-free and precise drop spotting in the pico- to micro-liter range and are optimally suited for microarray-based analytics – such as for tests with DNA, oligonucleotides, peptides, proteins, antibodies, glycans or for dispensing cells onto various substrates. The company operates from two sites in Germany, Dortmund and Berlin, and has subsidiaries in Arizona, USA; Lyon, France; and Chichester, UK. SCIENION is part of the CELLINK Group.

Contact

GILUPI GmbH

Hermannswerder 20a

D-14473 Potsdam

Phone: +49 (0)331 581 847 81