NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Swiss molecular diagnostics firm Biocartis today announced a €1.9 million ($2.5 million) subsidy from the Flemish government for the development of diagnostic cancer tests.
The funding is for a two-year period, during which Biocartis will develop tests to run on its fully automated system. The tests will be directed at the detection of known, validated oncogenes "and allow for more targeted treatment of certain cancers," Biocartis said.
The company plans to focus on skin, colon, and lung cancer. It will also seek to develop tests to simultaneously detect "dozens of parameters" for use on its Dynamic Multi-Analyte Technology, or DMAT, platform, a multiplex detection platform for the research market.
The system was launched in December. At the time the company announced the completion of a $45 million Series D financing round.
"Oncology is our company’s primary focus for the development of diagnostic tests," Erwin Sablon, head of Applied Assay Development for Biocartis, said in a statement. "This grant will speed up the development of a broad range of clinically relevant tests that will help make cancer treatment more efficient and personalized as well as improve survival rates for patients."