Albuquerque, NM, July 30, 2026 – Indica Labs today announces the launch of the ADC Target Scoring module for the HALO® image analysis platform, a powerful new functionality that supports the development of next-generation precision oncology therapies through quantitative target scoring and spatial analysis.

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) have emerged as one of the most promising classes of precision oncology therapeutics, combining targeted delivery with the potency of cytotoxic drugs. Since the efficacy of these therapies can be influenced by both their direct effects on target-expressing cells and bystander effects on neighboring cells, accurate characterization of target expression and tissue context are critical.

Quantitative Characterization of Antibody-Drug Conjugate Targets

The ADC Target Scoring module enables characterization of ADC targets through quantitative continuous scoring of protein expression, membrane-focused analysis, and integrated spatial assessment of potential bystander effects. This purpose-built module provides researchers with biologically meaningful insights into target expression and spatial relationships within the tumor microenvironment.

The module delivers streamlined workflows optimized for single-stain immunohistochemistry assays with nuclear counterstain. Supporting both pretrained and custom nuclear and membrane segmentation models, the module enables quantitative continuous scoring of target protein expression across membrane and cytoplasm and provides dedicated metrics tailored to ADC research.

Outputs include measurements of membrane OD variability, percent completeness of membrane staining, automated normalized membrane ratio (NMR) calculations, and continuous spatial scoring metrics.

Adam Smith, Chief Commercial Officer at Indica Labs, commented, “As antibody-drug conjugates continue to transform precision oncology, researchers require more sophisticated tools to characterize target expression and better understand the biological factors that influence therapeutic response. The ADC Target Scoring module equips researchers with richer data to drive biomarker characterization, therapeutic development, and ultimately the advancement of precision therapies.”

Antibody-Drug Conjugate Bystander Effect Analysis

A key feature of the module is its dedicated support for evaluating potential bystander effects. Built-in proximity analysis capabilities measure the distance between target-positive cells and nearby target-negative cells and generate proximity histograms that can be reviewed alongside other analysis outputs.

In addition, a continuous spatial scoring metric incorporates both target expression intensity and the spatial relationships between neighboring cells, providing a quantitative assessment of the local target expression environment.

The module also includes threshold-assist functionality for establishing OD or NMR positivity thresholds when needed, as well as adjustable membrane thickness settings that allow analyses to better reflect diverse membrane staining patterns.

“The ADC Target Scoring module extends HALO’s quantitative image analysis capabilities with workflows specifically designed for antibody-drug conjugate research,” noted Dr. Noemi Kedei, Director of Product, Life Sciences. “HALO has been setting the pace in computational pathology for over a decade, and this module is the latest example of HALO image analysis enabling research at the leading edge of discovery.”

The ADC Target Scoring module is now available in HALO 4.3. To learn more about the module and to see a demonstration, watch the recording of our recent sneak peek webinar.  Alternatively, reach out to info@indicalab.com to schedule a software demonstration or to activate a trial.

About Indica Labs

Indica Labs, the global leader in AI-powered digital pathology, is redefining medicine with pathology platforms supporting life science discovery, translational research, clinical workflows, and companion diagnostic development. HALO platforms integrate image management and quantitative image analysis to deliver standardized, reproducible tissue-based analysis at every stage of the translational journey.

Media Contact 

Ben Dyer

bdyer@indicalab.com