Leica Biosystems, a Danaher company, announced on 3 June 2026 an expansion of its strategic collaboration with AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo to develop an immunohistochemistry assay and image analysis algorithm for the TROP2 Normalized Membrane Ratio (NMR) biomarker in non-small cell lung cancer for research use only.
The collaboration, first announced in May 2025, is built on AstraZeneca’s Quantitative Continuous Scoring (QCS) computational pathology algorithm combined with Leica Biosystems’ digital pathology and IHC assay development capabilities to create an end-to-end solution that incorporates both membrane and cytoplasmic expression.
The effort will leverage Leica Biosystems’ BOND RX research stainer, BOND-III clinical stainer, Aperio GT 450 scanner and Aperio HALO AP image management system, and the TROP2 NMR algorithm is planned to be delivered through the Aperio AI Store.
According to the company, the expanded collaboration aims to scale AI-assisted computational pathology tools to support the development of diagnostic approaches. The release states the work is for research use only and not for diagnostic procedures.
