Genoptix Inc, San Diego, and Bionano Genomics Inc, Carlsbad, have signed an exclusive agreement to codevelop information-rich diagnostics for selected hematologic oncology indications in the United States using Bionano’s Saphyr system.
Bionano’s Saphyr system visualizes the structure of a genome from a simple DNA sample isolated directly from cancer cells, removing the need for cell culture. The system allows for the detection of all major types of structural variants.
The development efforts of Genoptix and Bionano will focus on indications in the area of hematologic oncology, where accurate diagnosis requires the detection of large structural variations of the genome. Cancer cells typically show a large number of major rearrangements of the genome, and their presence or absence can affect the characteristics of the tumor and its response to treatment and, therefore, direct clinical care.
Genoptix provides oncologists and pathologists with comprehensive testing solutions in hematology and solid tumor molecular profiling.
Erik Holmlin, Bionano.
“We are excited about working with the leader in hematologic cancers,” says Erik Holmlin, CEO of Bionano. “This alliance is a major milestone for Bionano, showing the potential of the Saphyr system for clinical analysis of cancer genomes. Bionano’s approach allows for the entire genome to be analyzed without the use of specific probes to detect variants of interest. Variants of clinical significance discovered in the future can easily be added to an assay without the need to develop additional detection tools.”
“We are pleased to be collaborating with Bionano to develop and validate robust clinical diagnostics for oncology applications utilizing Bionano’s promising technology,” says Joseph M. Limber, CEO of Genoptix. “We look forward to commercializing these exciting technologies to empower physicians to more effectively diagnose and treat cancer.”
For more information, visit Bionano Genomics and Genoptix.
