Simsen Diagnostics and Orion Corporation Announce Collaboration for Phase I Study

Simsen Diagnostics is announcing a new exciting collaboration with Orion Corporation, a Finnish pharmaceutical company, during a First-in-Human Phase I study to evaluate Orion’s drug candidate, ODM-212.

Gothenburg, 2024-06-26 – Simsen Diagnostics is announcing a new exciting collaboration with Orion Corporation, a Finnish pharmaceutical company, during a First-in-Human Phase I study to evaluate Orion’s drug candidate, ODM-212.

The primary objective of this Phase I study is dose escalation to determine the optimal dosing regimen for ODM-212. The trial will include a heterogeneous patient population with various types of advanced solid tumors.

Simsen Diagnostics will employ its Simsen® Personal solution, built on the proprietary Simsen-Seq platform. Simsen® Personal is designed to monitor circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) with exceptionally high sensitivity. This process involves analyzing the patient’s tumor to identify genetic variations, which are tracked over time through simple blood samples. This personalized and highly sensitive cancer monitoring technology can aid in identifying relapse or remaining disease, evaluating treatment efficacy and facilitating understanding of disease.

Simsen® Personal provides precise and reliable results to Orion’s study, that will guide the dose escalation process and enhance understanding of ODM-212’s therapeutic potential. This collaboration aims to advance the development of innovative cancer treatments by leveraging the expertise and technologies of both Simsen Diagnostics and Orion Corporation.

“Finding good biomarkers for cancer research and therapy is very difficult. ctDNA has been shown to be one of the most promising new biomarkers in the field. We are very excited about the collaboration and looking forward to the results of Simsen Diagnostics’ high sensitivity platform”, says Orion’s clinical biomarker expert Tarja Ikonen and ODM-212 project leader Satu Juhila.

Camilla Hietanen, Sales & Marketing Manager, from Simsen Diagnostics says: “We’re extremely excited about the opportunity to collaborate on this study with Orion Corporation, a major industry player. We look forward to seeing how our solution can enhance understanding of the new drug candidate and are excited about the upcoming study.”

About Orion Corporation

Orion is a globally operating Finnish pharmaceutical company – a builder of well-being. Orion develop, manufacture and market human and veterinary pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients. Orion has an extensive portfolio of proprietary and generic medicines and consumer health products. The core therapy areas of our pharmaceutical R&D are oncology and pain. Proprietary products developed by Orion are used to treat cancer, neurological diseases and respiratory diseases, among others. Orion’s net sales in 2023 amounted to EUR 1,190 million and the company had about 3,600 employees at the end of the year. Orion’s A and B shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.

About Simsen Diagnostics

Simsen Diagnostics is a biotech startup focusing on transforming cancer monitoring. Specializing in designing patient-specific tests, Simsen® Personal, the flagship solution, is based on ultrasensitive technology capable of detecting cancer years before standard-of- care tools. Founded in 2020 as a research spin-out from Sahlgrenska Academy, Simsen Diagnostics has experienced steady growth, gaining recognition from the pharmaceutical industry. Situated in the BioVentureHub at AstraZeneca Gothenburg, the company is at the forefront of providing innovative solutions in cancer monitoring.

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Pontus Rehn

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Pontus Rehn has over 20 years of experience in commercial leadership roles in the medical device and IVD industries, including global and regional positions like VP Market Development, Chief Commercial Officer, and Director of Commercial Strategy. 

Lina Said

Laboratory and Quality Manager

Lina Said, a licensed Biomedical Scientist, brings 18 years of experience from Sahlgrenska University Hospital to her role as the Lab and Quality Manager at Simsen Diagnostics. Her primary focus is ensuring quality assurance and fostering an optimal work environment for the lab. 

My Vu

Lead Laboratory Technician

My Vu is currently doing a master’s degree in biotechnology and demonstrates expertise in laboratory procedures. Her previous experience includes analyzing COVID samples and conducting her bachelor’s thesis at Fraunhofer. My is analyzing all the samples that comes to the lab.  

Stefan Filges

Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

Stefan Filges, an accomplished bioinformatician with a Ph.D. in ultrasensitive sequencing, became part of Simsen Diagnostics in 2022. He played a crucial role as a co-author in the original publication of SiMSen-Seq, which was published in Nature Protocols. 

Camilla Hietanen

Head of Sales and Marketing

Camilla Hietanen holds an M.Sc. in Business Development from the Chalmers School of Entrepreneurship. Her academic background encompasses studies in Sports & Nutrition, and she brings prior experience from various Start-ups. Within Simsen Diagnostics, her primary focus lies in Sales and Marketing. 

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