Advancing Your Inflammation and Immunology Research

Cerba Research supports clinical trials across the breadth of I&I indications including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, multiple sclerosis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, asthma, COPD, eczema, hidradenitis suppurativa, vasculitis, and rare immune-mediated diseases. Each indication has its own biomarker panel, sample matrix preference (blood, tissue, synovial fluid, BAL fluid), and regulatory considerations, and Cerba Research’s I&I teams adapt the analytical strategy accordingly across global trials.

We use harmonized SOPs, standardized platforms, and replicated technologies across our global laboratory network. This ensures that immune biomarkers, such as cytokines, cell populations, and genomic signals, are measured consistently regardless of study location.

Key biomarkers include cytokines and chemokines, immune cell subsets, gene expression signatures, and tissue-level markers of inflammation. Increasingly, multi-omic approaches combining cellular, molecular, and spatial data are used to fully characterize disease mechanisms and treatment response.

We combine molecular diagnostics, HLA typing, and immune profiling techniques such as flow cytometry and sequencing to identify patient subgroups. This enables more precise enrollment, improved trial outcomes, and better understanding of treatment response.

Ideally, biomarker and immunology strategies should be established early in development. Early planning ensures that assays are fit-for-purpose, aligned with endpoints, and scalable across later trial phases.

Yes. We design and validate fit-for-purpose assays, including custom IHC panels, NGS panels, and functional immune assays. These are tailored to specific mechanisms of action, therapeutic modalities, and study endpoints.

While blood-based assays provide systemic immune insights, tissue-based analyses reveal local immune responses within the disease microenvironment. Combining both approaches enables a more complete understanding of inflammatory pathways and therapeutic impact.

Spatial biology technologies allow us to map gene and protein expression within specific regions of tissue. This helps identify how immune cells interact within the microenvironment, providing deeper insight into disease mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets.

We use validated ligand-binding assays to detect anti-drug antibodies (ADA) and neutralizing antibodies (NAb), alongside pharmacokinetic and biomarker analyses. For advanced therapies, we also perform specialized assessments such as vector-specific immune response testing.

For advanced therapies such as cell and gene therapies, we offer tailored immune monitoring strategies, including detection and characterization of engineered cells, CAR-T cell persistence, and vector-related immune responses. These are supported by both cellular and molecular platforms.

Validation is required for new methods and when adding new analytes, changing sample matrices, or if significant changes are made to method parameters.

Validation confirms whether a new method works for its intended purpose. Verification proves whether it’s possible to successfully run a validated method when it is being transferred or adopted by a new lab.