PamGene, which has traded as PamDx since 2026, is a diagnostics company in 's-Hertogenbosch whose IOpener test measures the activity of kinase enzymes in immune cells from a blood sample to predict whether a patient with advanced cancer will benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitors, drugs that help only 10 to 50% of the patients who receive them. It was selected in the EIC Accelerator's March 2023 cut-off and announced €7.5 million of EIC support, according to PamGene. The grant part was €2.50 million for ROUTINE, a €3.67 million project that ran from August 2023 to July 2025, according to CORDIS. The goal was a standardised test for melanoma and lung cancer, clinical utility studies and preparation for market launch.
The final report says the IOpener sample collection kit was registered as an in vitro diagnostic device under the EU's IVDR rules, a melanoma clinical utility study in Germany was enrolling patients, and a Dutch melanoma study had ethics approval and was due to start recruiting in late 2025, according to the CORDIS reporting page. In July 2026 PamDx announced the publication in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer of a prospective study of 210 lung cancer patients at ten Dutch hospitals, which found the test predicted benefit better than the standard PD-L1 biomarker, according to PamDx.
Company file
- Legal entity
- PamGene International BV, trading as PamDx, 's-Hertogenbosch
- Managing director
- John Groten
- Chairman
- Jan van der Hoeven
- Test
- IOpener, melanoma and lung cancer
- Series A investors
- Myosotis Investments (lead), EIC Fund, existing shareholders
- Other business
- Kinase profiling services for pharma
- EIC funding
- Blended finance
Where PamDx Stands Now
In April 2026 PamDx closed a €13 million Series A led by Myosotis Investments, "with significant participation from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund", to run clinical utility studies and scale commercial activities, according to PamDx. The company now describes itself as "an innovative CRO in biomarker research and in-vitro diagnostic services", selling kinase activity profiling to drug developers alongside the IOpener test. Revenue figures are not public.
"Following the successful EIC Accelerator award, this investment provides the resources needed to execute clinical utility studies and scale the commercial activities."
Jan van der Hoeven, Chairman of PamDx, April 2026The Technology: Reading the Immune System's Enzymes
Checkpoint inhibitors are expensive and can cause serious side effects, yet most patients do not respond. The current main biomarker, PD-L1 in the tumour, needs a tissue sample and is least informative for patients with low PD-L1. IOpener uses PamGene's microarrays to profile kinase activity in white blood cells before treatment. In the lung study, patients predicted to benefit had significantly longer progression-free survival, especially when the test was combined with PD-L1 (hazard ratio 0.38).
What the EIC Award Promised, and What the Record Shows
The award promised a standardised, market-ready test and the clinical evidence for reimbursement. The kit was registered, studies started and a validation was published. The clinical utility studies, which insurers need before paying, were still running or about to start when the project ended, and a pan-cancer version remained in development.
- IVDR-registered kitDeliveredSample collection kit.
- Clinical utility studiesStartedGermany enrolling; NL approved.
- Lung cancer validationDeliveredPublished, 210 patients.
- Pan-cancer testIn developmentNo results yet.
The Money
The EU paid 68% of the project. The EIC award implied €5 million of equity on top of the grant, and the EIC Fund invested in the 2026 Series A; its exact share is not disclosed. The Series A was more than five times the grant.
What Cannot Be Checked
Questions for the EIC
How much the EIC Fund invested, how many patients the clinical utility studies have enrolled, whether any insurer reimburses IOpener, and how many tests have been sold are not public.
Why Europe Should Care
Checkpoint inhibitors are expensive, and many patients gain little from them. A blood test that identifies who will benefit could save money and spare patients toxic side effects. PamDx has published evidence and raised money to prove the test in practice; routine clinical use is the next step.
What the award promised
A standardised immunotherapy prediction test with clinical evidence for market launch.
What the record shows
A registered kit, running utility studies, a published validation and a €13M round.
The Verdict
Evidence growing, market ahead
PamDx used EIC support to move IOpener closer to the clinic and won EIC Fund equity. Reimbursed, routine use has not yet been shown.
PamDx and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.
