LONDON – Biofidelity Ltd. has raised US$12 million in a series A, enabling it to start commercialization of a novel, low-cost, chemistry-based diagnostic for detecting all actionable lung cancer mutations. The Cambridge, U.K.-based company claims the test can detect a single molecule of mutated DNA against the background of billions of healthy molecules in a patient sample, without the need for DNA sequencing.
The U.S. FDA revealed good news for Guardant Health Inc. Specifically, the agency has given a thumbs up for Guardant360 CDx for tumor mutation profiling, also known as comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP), in patients with any solid malignant neoplasm. The Redwood City, Calif.-based company noted that this marked the first approval to combine next-generation sequencing (NGS) and liquid biopsy in one diagnostic test to guide treatment decisions. The assay previously was granted a breakthrough device designation.
Liquid biopsy startup Thrive Earlier Detection Corp. has raised $257 million in a series B round led by Casdin Capital and Section 32. The funds will be used to finalize the design of its first product, Cancerseek, conduct a trial to support U.S. FDA approval and prepare for commercialization.
Invitae Corp. (NYSE:NVTA) saw its stock flying high June 22 on the news of its agreement to buy Archerdx Inc., with an eye toward enhancing cancer genetics and precision oncology. Investors appear to approve of the deal, with the company’s stock closing at $27.05, up $8.34 or 44.58%.
Creatv Microtech Inc. has developed a simple blood test that can predict response to chemoradiation and consolidated immunotherapy in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Whole genome sequencing is not part of treating patients in practice – or even involved in most clinical trials of drug candidates. But C2i Genomics Inc. is working to make that a reality. It applies pattern recognition to whole genome sequencing to create an individualized fingerprint for a given patient’s tumor. The New York-based startup has raised a $12 million series A round to back the development of its technology, which came out of Cornell and the New York Genome Center.
Whole genome sequencing is not part of treating patients in practice – or even involved in most clinical trials of drug candidates. But C2i Genomics Inc. is working to make that a reality. It applies pattern recognition to whole genome sequencing to create an individualized fingerprint for a given patient’s tumor. The New York-based startup has raised a $12 million series A round to back the development of its technology, which came out of Cornell and the New York Genome Center.
LONDON – Base Genomics Ltd. has raised $11 million in an oversubscribed seed round to commercialize a new liquid biopsy technology for detecting DNA methylation, invented in the U.K. at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research at Oxford University.
LONDON – Neogenomics Laboratories Inc. is to make a $25 million equity investment in Inivata Ltd. and has taken an option to acquire all of the company as part of a U.S. commercialization agreement with the U.K. liquid biopsy specialist. Under the deal, Neogenomics will take over sales, marketing and billing for Inivata’s Invisionfirst circulating tumor DNA lung cancer test, which is intended to replace tissue biopsies.
LONDON – With COVID-19 infection varying in severity from asymptomatic to lethal the search is now underway for biomarkers to predict which patients are most at risk of suffering severe disease. As one possibility, Menarini Silicon Biosystems (MSB) is using its Cellsearch liquid biopsy technology to capture and count circulating endothelial cells. Meanwhile, Oxford Biodynamics plc is applying its Episwitch platform to find prognostic and predictive epigenetic markers.