Biomarker services for oncology trials
Make every trial biopsy count.
Explicyte has supported clinical-stage biomarker programs in partnership with early-phase clinical trial units and industry sponsors since 2018.
We design integrated workflows that limit sample consumption, optimize turnaround and cost, and extract actionable insights from tumor tissues and peripheral samples, with ISO 9001 / ISO 13485-certified digital pathology and histology workflows.
Recent papers based on clinical samples
From patient selection to in-human mechanism of action
Delivering clinical data that shape go/no-go decisions
In trials, biomarker analysis answers three key questions: which patients to enroll, whether the drug is engaging its target, and what the response — or resistance — is telling you.
Patient stratification
& selection
Find the right patient for the right drug: Gene-expression signatures, spatial immune scores and IHC/IHF assay development to support patient stratification and evaluate candidate predictors of benefit
Pharmacodynamics
& target engagement
Show the drug is doing its job: Target engagement, downstream signaling, cytokine modulation and immune-cell state changes in tumor and blood.
Mechanism of action
in the clinic
Explain why it worked — or why it didn't. Deep sample characterization with multiomics of on-treatment biopsies to map how the tumor and its microenvironment evolve.
Biomarker analysis services to support oncology trials
Leveraging solid and liquid biopsies for clinical insights
Single-cell & spatial transcriptomics
Biomarker discovery & mechanistic studies
Single-cell and spatial transcriptomic readouts on trial samples to identify predictive biomarkers, signatures of response, resistance mechanisms, and how the investigational drug remodels biological programs.
DIGITAL PATHOLOGY (IF/IHC)
ISO-certified multiplex IF & IHC biomarker assays
ISO-certified development of multiplex IF/IHC assays (from design to validation) and clinical testing services — validated panels for TLS scoring and immune contexture — to support patient stratification.
Immune response profiling
Analysis of peripheral biomarkers
Immunophenotyping and cytokine analysis, complemented with transcriptomic and metabolomic readouts, to detect early signals of pharmacodynamic activity and target engagement in blood throughout the trial.
A dedicated infrastructure to support clinical trials
Built for clinical biomarker studies
Sample management
- Quality-managed sample handling: sample and metadata registration with full traceability.
- Standardized sample processing & QC: reduced variability, better inputs.
- Controlled storage and sample return
Expertise & technologies
- Track record in biomarker study design, reducing sample use and optimizing turnaround and cost.
- The latest technologies to extract the most from every sample — a 10x Genomics Certified Service Provider across our platforms.
Actionable data
- Data-processing workflows for QC, normalization, annotation and integrated analysis.
- In-house data scientists for rapid, tailored analysis, with publication-ready figures, methods and QC documentation.
Target & biomarker discovery testimonials
Sponsor stories
Paul Marteau, PharmD (study director), Imane Nafia, PhD (CSO), Loïc Cerf, MSc (COO), Alban Bessede, PhD (founder, CEO), Jean-Philippe Guégan, PhD (CTO)
Contact our team
Discuss your trial and request a quote
Whether you're planning the biomarker strategy for an upcoming trial or need analysis of samples already collected, we can scope the right assays, endpoints, and reporting — from patient stratification to on-treatment mechanism of action.
Frequently asked questions
Answers about clinical trial biomarker services
What biomarker services do you provide for clinical trials?
We support patient stratification, pharmacodynamic and target-engagement readouts, and mechanism-of-action analysis — across transcriptomic, multiplex protein, and blood-based assays.
What sample types can you process?
FFPE and fresh/frozen tumor cohorts, plus blood-based samples and other biological fluids. We process sponsor-provided clinical samples, including multicenter collections, and design workflows that limit sample consumption.
Is your work ISO-certified?
Yes — ISO 9001 and ISO 13485, scoped to our digital pathology and histology workflows.
Can you develop and validate a custom assay for our trial?
Yes. We design and validate multiplex IF/IHC assays — including panels for TLS scoring and immune contexture — to support patient stratification and exploratory endpoints.
Can you support patient stratification or companion diagnostic development?
We support biomarker strategies for patient stratification and CDx-oriented development, including assay design, biomarker evaluation and data generation aligned with your program’s intended regulatory pathway. Formal companion diagnostic development and validation are scoped according to the assay, intended use and partner responsibilities.
How do you measure pharmacodynamics and target engagement?
Through target occupancy, downstream signaling, and cytokine modulation, read from tumor tissue and from blood across on-treatment timepoints.
Can you functionally investigate a candidate biomarker before the trial starts?
Yes. Candidate biomarkers or response hypotheses can be investigated in patient-derived 3D tumor models before clinical deployment, providing functional evidence that can complement retrospective or translational biomarker data.
Can you integrate clinical metadata and outcomes?
When available, we integrate clinical and pathological variables for subgroup and enrichment analyses, keeping all data de-identified.
How do you handle patient samples and data?
Every sample is registered and tracked under our quality management system, and clinical data are handled in de-identified form.
What does a typical deliverable look like?
Analyzed datasets with publication-ready figures, full methods and QC documentation, and decision-oriented statistics.
