Cancer genomics company Personalis has introduced NeXT Dx genomic cancer profiling test, which helps to provide advanced composite biomarkers for cancer treatment.
NeXT Dx test will support oncologists to identify potential therapies and clinical trial options for cancer patients.
The test is said to be one of the first cancer diagnostic platforms that can profile around 20,000 genes in both the tumour exome and transcriptome. It serves as a comprehensive genomic testing solution as most of the cancer diagnostic panels focus on few hundred genes.
Personalis NeXT Dx test includes advanced analytics
Personalis NeXT Dx test is comprised of advanced analytics, which can offer a diagnostic report on genetic alterations in medically-significant cancer genes and emerging immunotherapy composite biomarkers.
The clinical report also includes immunotherapy-related biomarkers such as microsatellite instability (MSI) status and tumour mutational burden (TMB)
The NeXT Dx test, which is enhanced for formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumour samples, is a laboratory-developed test carried out at Personalis’ CAP-accredited and CLIA’88-certified laboratory.
By applying ImmunoID NeXT sequencing and analysis platform, the test will report base substitutions, insertions/deletions, gene fusions, and copy number alterations in cancer driver genes of clinical significance.
ImmunoID NeXT is a cancer immunogenomics platform, which consolidates multiple biomarker assays into one. It offers a multidimensional view of the tumour and its tumour microenvironment from a single sample.
According to the company, MSI status is described based on five canonical loci, including BAT25, BAT26, NR-21, NR-24, and NR-27, and TMB status is reported by leveraging the exome-wide analysis of non-synonymous somatic mutations.
The report delivers relevant therapy recommendations and appropriate clinical trial matches based on the molecular profile of the tumour.
Personalis chief scientific officer Dr Richard Chen said: “With new cancer immunotherapy and combination therapies, there is an increasing need for the development of more advanced composite biomarkers that can model the complex biology driving the response and resistance to cancer therapy.
“Our NeXT Dx Test provides oncologists with clinical reports on key diagnostic markers driving therapies today as well as provides information that can support the identification of new, advanced biomarkers.”
In November 2019, molecular diagnostics firm Asuragen collaborated with clinical-stage genetic medicines company Wave Life Sciences to develop companion diagnostics for Huntington’s disease (HD).
