University of Oxford adopts Olink technology to advance protein biomarker discovery and unravel mechanisms of disease

UPPSALA, Sweden, May 09, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Olink Holding AB (publ) (Nasdaq: OLK) today announced that Oxford Genomics at the University of Oxford adopts the Olink technology and becomes the first Olink certified laboratory in the United Kingdom. The partnership will enable novel techniques to unravel mechanisms of disease using the Olink^® Explore platform.

Oxford Genomics is centered within the Wellcome Centre of Human Genetics which was formed in the founding years of the Human Genome Project; they have been producing cutting edge research for more than two decades. As we move into an age of multi-omic analysis to truly understand the linkage between disease and phenotype, proteomics is an essential tool to complement their other cutting-edge technologies.

With the recent establishment of the Oxford-GSK Institute, Olink^® Explore will be utilized to build a multiomics approach to mapping molecular mechanisms of complex diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Expertise in machine learning and bioinformaticians at Oxford’s Big Data Institute will be able to leverage these datasets to pinpoint novel targets and identify signatures to stratify patients.

"By utilizing the Olink platform we are interested in discovering biomarkers and early disease signatures in common diseases, because they would provide clues to druggable targets and readouts we can use to test potential therapeutic candidates,” said Prof John Todd Director of Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics and Co-Director of Oxford GSK Institute. "We are trying to make the drug development process more precise by understanding the heterogeneity in the patients instead of one drug fits all.”

The new Olink^® Explore 3072 platform enables access to an expanded library of carefully curated and validated assays to provide detailed proteomics data to improve understanding of human health. The Olink market-leading proteomics solution measures up to 3,000 proteins per sample using Proximity Extension Assay (PEA) technology combined with next generation (NGS) sequencing readout, providing a highly accurate and reproducible multiplexed method with exceptional specificity.

"We are immensely proud to lay the foundation of a long lasting and prosperous partnership with such a prestigious institution as the University of Oxford, utilizing our technology as the first Olink certified laboratory in the United Kingdom. This partnership demonstrates the importance of academic partners in pioneering the establishment of new technologies. It will further democratize the use of the Olink platform in line with our mission to accelerate proteomics together with the scientific community,” said Jon Heimer, CEO, Olink Proteomics. "The objective is to create a better understanding of the origin of diseases, provide earlier and more accurate diagnoses with individualized treatment and enable more efficient and safer drug development.”

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jan.medina@olink.com

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Corporate Communications Manager
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About Olink
Olink Holding AB (Nasdaq: OLK) is a company dedicated to accelerating proteomics together with the scientific community, across multiple disease areas to enable new discoveries and improve the lives of patients. Olink provides a platform of products and services which are deployed across major pharmaceutical companies and leading clinical and academic institutions to deepen the understanding of real-time human biology and drive 21st century healthcare through actionable and impactful science. The company was founded in 2016 and is well established across Europe, North America and Asia. Olink is headquartered in Uppsala, Sweden.

About Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics
The Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics (WCHG) is a research institute of the Nuffield Department of Medicine at the University of Oxford, funded by the University, Wellcome, and numerous other sponsors. It is based in purpose-built laboratories on the University of Oxford’s Biomedical Research Campus in Headington, one of the largest concentrations of biomedical expertise in the world. Here our researchers are able to work closely with colleagues across University departments including, but not limited to, the Department of Psychiatry, the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine and the Big Data Institute.  

With more than 400 active researchers and around 70 employed in administrative and support roles, the Centre is an international leader in genetics, genomics and structural biology. WCHG collaborates with research teams across the world on a number of large-scale studies in these areas. WCHG’s researchers expend close to £20m annually in competitively-won grants, and publish around 300 primary papers per year. https://www.well.ox.ac.uk/

About the University of Oxford
Oxford University has been placed number 1 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for the sixth year running, and ?number 2 in the QS World Rankings 2022. At the heart of this success are the twin-pillars of our ground-breaking research and innovation and our distinctive educational offer.

Oxford is world-famous for research and teaching excellence and home to some of the most talented people from across the globe. Our work helps the lives of millions, solving real-world problems through a huge network of partnerships and collaborations. The breadth and interdisciplinary nature of our research alongside our personalised approach to teaching sparks imaginative and inventive insights and solutions.

Through its research commercialisation arm, Oxford University Innovation, Oxford is the highest university patent filer in the UK and is ranked first in the UK for university spinouts, having created more than 200 new companies since 1988. Over a third of these companies have been created in the past three years. The university is a catalyst for prosperity in Oxfordshire and the United Kingdom, contributing £15.7 billion to the UK economy in 2018/19, and supports more than 28,000 full time jobs.

Forward-Looking Statements
This release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including, without limitation, statements regarding Olink’s strategy, business plans and focus. The words "may,” "will,” "could,” "would,” "should,” "expect,” "plan,” "anticipate,” "intend,” "believe,” "estimate,” "predict,” "project,” "potential,” "continue,” "target” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs as of the date hereof and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and important factors that may cause actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, including, without limitation, those related to Olink’s business, operations, supply chain, strategy, goals and anticipated timelines, including for the delivery of Olink Explore 3072 and the expansion of the Explore platform, competition, and other risks identified in the section entitled "Risk Factors” in Olink’s Registration Statement on Form F-1, as amended (File No. 333-253818) filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and in the other filings, reports, and documents Olink files with the SEC from time to time. Olink expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements in this release to reflect any change in its expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, unless required by law or regulation.