Delve Bio, a developer in metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) for infectious diseases, announced data on the use of mNGS for the definitive diagnosis of infectious causes of meningitis and/or encephalitis in real-world clinical settings. 

The study, conducted in collaboration with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), was presented by Charles Chiu, MD, PhD, Delve Bio co-founder and Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Medicine / Infectious Diseases at UCSF, at the 76th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) in Denver, Colorado.

mNGS for Infectious Disease Diagnosis

The study included a large cohort of more than 4,800 patients over seven years diagnosed at UCSF. The study found metagenomic next-generation sequencing uncovered a definitive diagnosis of the cause of infection for more than one in four patients overall, of which 60% were clinically significant diagnoses that informed treatment. In addition, the study found mNGS provided a definitive diagnosis for nearly one in three immunocompromised patients.

“We firmly believe that mNGS delivers the most conclusive, unbiased and actionable tool for the diagnosis of infectious diseases,” says Chiu. “Importantly, this test is already impacting patient care, and the data presented at AAN shows real-world experience using mNGS to deliver answers to more than a thousand patients who otherwise would have gone undiagnosed. Partnering with Delve Bio will enable us to make this technology pioneered at UCSF to become more accessible.”

About Delve Bio

Delve Bio launched in June 2023 to commercialize mNGS technology originally developed at UCSF and exclusively licensed to Delve Bio. The company’s flagship cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) testing service, Delve Neuro, includes a state-of-the-art CLIA lab processing and robust clinical decision support in a service with turnaround times of under 48 hours. 

Ultimately, Delve Neuro will enable more patients with potentially life-threatening neurological infections to benefit from faster, more comprehensive diagnoses. Delve Neuro is expected to become more broadly available later this year.

Further reading: Precision Medicine Will Advance Through Widespread Adoption of NGS