NEW YORK – Genomic Testing Cooperative said on Wednesday that it has partnered with Elevation Oncology to identify NRG1 fusion-positive solid cancer patients who may be eligible for Elevation's Phase II CRESTONE study of its investigational HER3 inhibitor seribantumab.
For its part of the collaboration, Irvine, California-based Genomic Testing Cooperative will specifically identify NRG1 fusions using its Solid Tumor Profile Plus test, which assesses solid tumors for abnormalities in 434 DNA genes and 1,408 RNA genes to characterize single nucleotide variation, copy number variation, expression, and fusion.
Through its cooperative business model, GTC will ensure that its co-op partners also offer testing for NRG1 fusions. Should the testing identify NRG1 fusions in patients with advanced, previously treated solid cancers, these patients may be referred to a center within Elevation's CRESTONE study of seribantumab.
"Our goal is to provide comprehensive actionable molecular profiling so patients and their treating physicians can personalize therapy and select the proper treatment that has the potential of improving outcome," Maher Albitar, GTC's CEO and chief medical officer, said in a statement. "The co-op model allows us to enable all members of the co-op to update their offering and make testing for NRG1 fusion available to their patients."
Elevation has entered a number of similar partnerships aimed at identifying NRG1 fusion-positive patients for its clinical trial and streamlining enrollment. These collaborators include Strata Oncology, Caris Life Sciences, Ashion Analytics, and US Oncology Research.
Last week, the firm priced its initial public offering of 6,250,000 shares of common stock at $16 per share, expecting gross proceeds of $100 million, $60 million to $70 million of which it will put toward advancing seribantumab through the CRESTONE trial.