Asuragen, a molecular diagnostics company, has partnered with Wave Life Sciences to create companion diagnostics (CDx) for Huntington's disease (HD) gene treatments.

Wave's investigational allele-selective treatment programs, which attempt to target the underlying genetic etiology of HD, will benefit from the diagnostics.

HD is a hereditary condition that results in the gradual disintegration of nerve cells in the brain as a result of CAG repeat expansion in the HTT gene. It impairs a person's physical and mental capacities and has no known remedy.

The cooperation will use its expertise in repeated sequence diagnostics to deliver scalable SNP phasing to potential worldwide Phase 3 development programs.

Wave's WVE-120101 and WVE-120102 candidates will be targeted by CDx tests developed by the molecular diagnostics company.

Wave is now evaluating the companion therapies' safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics in multicenter, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 1b / 2a trials.

"Our partnership with Asuragen for companion diagnostic development was a natural fit in light of their deep knowledge and expertise with challenging molecular targets, diagnostic regulatory experience, and their growing presence in the neurogenetics testing market," said Wave Life Sciences vice president of bioanalytics, pharmacology, and biomarker development Jaya Goyal.