NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Roswell Park Cancer Institute today said that the New York State Department of Health has granted approval for the institute to test cancer patients using its OmniSeq Target molecular diagnostic test.
The OmniSeq target analyzes 23 cancer-associated genes, including ALK, EGFR, PTEN, KRAS, and NRAS, among others. It employs a dual sequencing platform, simultaneously using Thermo Fisher Scientific's Ion Torrent and Illumina's sequencing platforms. The institute believes that this approach provides "unparalleled sensitivity and positive predictive value" compared to testing on one platform.
RPCI said that its OmniSeq Target test is one of only three next-generation sequencing-based tests approved for use in New York State, and claims that it's the only one of those tests to exclusively focus on actionable mutations — those for which targeted therapies exist.
"For years, the promise of genomic medicine has been largely theoretical and prospective," RPCI President and CEO Donald Trump said in a statement. "OmniSeq Target gives us the ability to identify, for many cancer patients, which therapy is going to be most effective for an individual, sparing patients from having to take a medication that was never going to work for them. We can expect dramatic improvements in both patient outcomes and quality of life."
The institute expects to incorporate OmniSeq Target testing into the care of its patients beginning in the third quarter of this year.