Quanterix Boosts Investments in its Accelerator Lab to Support Rapid Growth of Simoa Technology

Dr. Daniel Sikkema joins Quanterix as Vice President of Accelerator Services to lead the growth of the company’s contract research lab and support precision health advances across a wide range of therapeutic categories

LEXINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Quanterix Corporation, a company digitizing biomarker analysis with the goal of advancing the science of precision health, today announced investments in Quanterix’ state-of-the-art Simoa Accelerator Lab services, including the appointment of Dr. Daniel Sikkema, Ph.D., as Vice President of Accelerator Services. Quanterix’ Simoa technology and its growing Accelerator Lab services are enabling biotechnology researchers, pharmaceutical companies and academic institutions to expand the limits of biomarker exploration and detection in multiple categories of therapeutic discovery and drug development.

The Simoa Accelerator Lab is a dedicated environment for biomarker research, custom assay development and clinical sample testing. Since its launch in early 2014, it has been home to more than 320 completed projects, with over 60,000 samples tested for researchers from over 135 organizations that span a dozen countries across the world, including North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The state-of-the-art facility provides access to the Simoa technology, creating an innovation center where researchers can work side-by-side with Quanterix scientists to test samples with existing Simoa assays, or design, develop and optimize new assays.

The Lab has partnered with 17 of the top 20 global biopharma companies, and since opening its doors, has more than tripled in size to accommodate demand. It has also expanded its capabilities, and is linked to Quanterix’ manufacturing operations to enable rapid development of custom assay kits for customer projects, providing researchers with access to validated kits for assays that are not otherwise commercially available. Several additional investments are underway to support companion diagnostic projects using Simoa, including a new laboratory information management system (LIMS).

“We are aggressively investing in Simoa to realize its capability to detect and quantitate digital biomarkers that are capable of measuring life’s key variables from health to disease,” said Kevin Hrusovsky, Executive Chairman and CEO of Quanterix. “The Accelerator Lab provides scientists early access to Simoa and the ability to rapidly innovate assays potentially leading to new scientific discoveries. Investing in the Lab and naming a seasoned veteran in Dr. Sikkema to lead its build-out is a key step in unlocking Simoa’s potential to impact medicine.”

Dr. Sikkema will work to expand the reach of Quanterix’ Accelerator Lab services in neurology, oncology, immuno-oncology, infectious disease, inflammatory diseases and other therapeutic areas. With an extensive background in bioanalytical discovery, Dr. Sikkema will support customers in drug development research, building on the bench of research already produced by the Lab, with six peer-reviewed scientific journals published in 2016 alone.

“Quanterix’ Simoa technology has the potential to enable precision health, and I am thrilled to join the company,” said Dr. Sikkema. “I look forward to driving meaningful advancements in therapeutic discovery and drug development. The Lab provides researchers with cost-effective, early access to Simoa’s cutting-edge capabilities.”

Dr. Sikkema brings 25 years’ experience in the biopharmaceutical, vaccine and cell/gene therapy fields supporting oncology, neurosciences, respiratory, immunology and infectious disease. He has worked at Frontage Lab, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Wyeth, Merck, Sanofi Pasteur and GlaxoSmithKline. In his career, he has contributed to the licensure of Prev(e)nar, Meningitec, Gardasil, Rotavax, ProQuad, Zostavax, and Dengue vaccines, as well as Ofatumumab, Raxibacumab, Benlysta, Albiglutide, Mepolizumab, Denosumab, Abatacept, and other biopharmaceuticals, as well as Strimvelis (the world’s first ex vivo cell/gene therapy product), which have collectively garnered more than $100 billion in sales since 1999. He has also worked with the World Health Organization, National Institute for Biological Standards and Controls (NIBSC), US Centers for Disease Control, FDA and EMA in roles as an invited expert and as an advisor. He has authored 30 peer-reviewed publications and has delivered more than 70 public presentations globally at scientific symposia.

About Quanterix

Quanterix is a company that is digitizing biomarker analysis with the goal of advancing the science of precision health. The company’s digital health solution, Simoa, has the potential to change the way in which healthcare is provided today by giving researchers the ability to closely examine the continuum from health to disease. Quanterix’ technology is designed to enable much earlier disease detection, better prognosis and enhanced treatment methods to improve the quality of life and longevity of the population for generations to come. The technology is currently being used for research applications in several therapeutic areas, including oncology, neurology, cardiology, inflammation and infectious disease. The company was established in 2007 and is located in Lexington, Massachusetts.