Biocartis launched two new products for cancer diagnosis to use with its molecular diagnostics platform Idylla™; a liquid biopsy test and a tissue biopsy test.
The first product, a ctBRAF Mutation Assay uses blood plasma instead of tissue biopsies as a sample. Fragments of tumor DNA are shed into the blood from primary tumors or metastatic sites. These circulating DNA fragments can be used for diagnostic purposes. This technique has the advantage that the tumor location does not have to be known and that samples can be obtained repeatedly in an easy way. The turnaround time of the assay takes about 90 minutes with less than one minute of hands-on work.
The second one is a NRAS-BRAF-EGFR S492R Mutation Assay using a tissue biopsy. This allows a complete RAS-BRAF analysis in one day, which opens up the route towards faster treatment selection. This assay complements the already CE-marked Idylla™ KRAS Mutation Test (tissue biopsy test). Together, they provide a complete metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) mutation analysis. They can detect 39 KRAS and NRAS mutations (“extended RAS”) at high sensitivity.
“Liquid biopsy testing has the potential to significantly improve the early diagnosis and monitoring of cancer and we are now enabling same-day RAS testing. We deliver high precision diagnostics for high precision medicine in virtually any setting, to patients worldwide,” says Rudi Pauwels, CEO Biocartis.
