Horizon Discovery Group plc, Cambridge, UK, has launched its first HDx cell-free DNA (cfDNA) reference standard in synthetic plasma. Developed using clinically relevant mutations, the reference standard contains eight cancer-relevant mutations, including BRAF, EGFR, KRAS, NRAS, and PIK3CA at 5%, 1%, and 0.1% allelic frequencies. These mutations are associated with multiple forms of cancer including breast, colorectal, pancreatic, and particularly lung, where one specific mutation covered in the panel, EGFR T790M, is associated with Iressa (gefitinib) resistance. By engineering the reference standard in plasma, full understanding of assay performance from extraction and quantification through to analysis and informatics is possible, mimicking the challenges of dealing with human material. For more information, visit Horizon Discovery Group.