NEW YORK – Belgium-based OncoDNA on Thursday said that it has signed a subcontract service agreement with HalioDx, which will allow it to expand its molecular testing services to pharmaceutical firms developing precision cancer therapies in North America.
HalioDx is an immuno-oncology-focused diagnostics firm with a CLIA-certified lab in Virginia. "We have found in HalioDx a trusted partner to run our diagnostic tests for research use in the US," OncoDNA Founder Jean-Pol Detiffe said in a statement. "We are confident that HalioDx, and most particularly its CLIA-certified laboratory in Richmond, Virginia, has the capability to perform our complex molecular profiling assays, enabling us to assist with the identification and development of future personalized cancer treatments for patients."
OncoDNA has a portfolio of molecular tests that can analyze solid and liquid biopsies, as well as bioinformatics technology. These services are already being used in 50 countries, including in Europe, and according to the firm, sales of its services have grown 180 percent in four years.
For example, Kura Oncology, headquartered in San Diego, is using OncoDNA's testing services to identify head and neck cancer patients with HRAS mutations who may be eligible for a trial investigating the activity of its drug tipifarnib. OncoDNA's services are also being used in the AURORA study, a project sponsored by the Breast International Group to improve understanding of the genetic markers implicated in metastatic breast cancer and the mechanisms driving therapeutic response and resistance.