Akoya Biosciences and Singapore Translational Cancer Consortium (STCC) Partner on SUPER Study Designed to Advance Cancer Immunophenotyping for Patients in Singapore

By: Akoya Biosciences, Inc. via GlobeNewswire

April 23, 2025 at 08:00 AM EDT

The STCC Unified PD1/PDL1 Evaluation of Response (SUPER) study is a multi-institutional study led by STCC with the goal of identifying predictors of PD1 immunotherapy response in an Asian real-world setting, bringing together Singapore’s public healthcare and research institutions in the translational cancer research ecosystem, comprising the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS), National University Cancer Institute, Singapore (NCIS), National University Hospital (NUH), National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore General Hospital (SGH) and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).
The partnership between Akoya Biosciences and STCC will leverage Akoya Biosciences’ PhenoCode™ Discovery IO60 Panel in the SUPER study to immunophenotype matched pairs of immuno-oncology exceptional responders and hyper-progressors through advanced spatial multiplexed analyses. By bridging cutting-edge spatial proteomics with clinical insights, this initiative has the potential to shape the future of precision oncology.

MARLBOROUGH, Mass., April 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Akoya Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: AKYA) (“Akoya”), The Spatial Biology Company^®, today announced a collaboration with the Singapore Translational Cancer Consortium (STCC) on the STCC Unified PD1/PDL1 Evaluation of Response (SUPER) study.

This initiative aims to identify and validate key biomarkers predicting response or refractoriness to immune checkpoint inhibitors using Akoya’s IO60 panel for spatial proteomic analysis.

Advancing Precision Immunotherapy

While PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors (Pembrolizumab/Nivolumab) have revolutionized cancer treatment, patient responses vary widely. The SUPER study is the first study in Singapore, focusing on a unique case-control pan-cancer cohort of 200 patients –100 exceptional responders matched with 100 hyperprogressors to immune checkpoint inhibitors - which seeks to uncover the biological determinants of varied treatment outcomes. The SUPER Study will leverage Akoya’s IO60 panel, with other multiomic profiling modalities, to enhance biomarker-driven cancer treatment and improve patient outcomes.

Key Objectives of the Study:

To identify and validate the assay combination and biomarker(s) profile that best predicts response or refractoriness to PD1/PDL1 inhibition.
Develop a combinatorial assay kit/model that best predicts PD1/PDL1 treatment response for clinical applications.
Establish a national biomarker discovery program for extreme responders - individuals that have an exceptionally favorable or unusually poor response to cancer treatment.

A National Effort for Better Patient Outcomes

"The SUPER study design is a unique approach to redefining immunotherapy strategies," said Dr Anand D. Jeyasekharan, Platform Lead, Translational Research Integration & Support at STCC. Dr Jeyasekharan is also Senior Consultant, Department of Hematology-Oncology, NCIS and Principal Investigator and Facility Head (Spatial Biology Core) at the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore at NUS.

"We aim to develop a precision medicine approach for cancer immunotherapy, by integrating spatial approaches with DNA/RNA sequencing to identify predictors of response to these expensive medications."

As part of the collaboration, Akoya’s IO60 panel will be used to analyze the tumor microenvironment, providing insights into immune cell interactions and biomarker expression patterns in this matched cohort of patients. The study’s findings could have significant implications for future cancer immunotherapy approaches and healthcare cost optimization.

Brian McKelligon, CEO of Akoya Biosciences, added, “We are excited to collaborate with STCC to drive advances in personalized medicine. Our IO60 panel offers critical insights into the tumor microenvironment, paving the way for more effective cancer treatment."

About Akoya Biosciences

As The Spatial Biology Company^®, Akoya Biosciences’ mission is to bring context to the world of biology and human health through the power of spatial phenotyping. The Company offers comprehensive single-cell imaging solutions that allow researchers to phenotype cells with spatial context and visualize how they organize and interact to influence disease progression and response to therapy. Akoya offers a full continuum of spatial phenotyping solutions to serve the diverse needs of researchers across discovery, translational and clinical research: PhenoCode™ Panels and PhenoCycler^®, PhenoImager^® Fusion and PhenoImager HT Instruments. To learn more about Akoya, visit www.akoyabio.com.

About Singapore Translational Cancer Consortium

STCC was established in 2020, as a nationally coordinated consortium to synergize cancer research capabilities in Singapore.

STCC brings together unmatched basic, clinical, and translational talent in Singapore to create globally significant peaks of excellence in selected Asian cancers. STCC's five joint platforms – Cancer Clinical Trials and Investigational Medicine Units, Cancer Databases and Tissue Banks, Translational Research Integration and Support, Business Intelligence and Development, and Impact and Population Health – provide an enabling research and innovation environment driven to foster translational research and meaningful outcomes for society.

Through these forged collaborative relationships between local cancer research groups and by capitalizing on the strengths of industry and academia, STCC is uniquely poised to develop initiatives that are aligned with Singapore's goals in value-based healthcare innovation and economic value creation.

STCC is a program of Consortium for Clinical Research and Innovation, Singapore (CRIS) and is supported by the National Research Foundation, Singapore and funded by the Ministry of Health through the National Medical Research Council Office, MOH Holdings Pte Ltd.

For more information, please visit https://www.stcc.sg

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