NEW YORK – Molecular diagnostics firm Genomill and iCAN, the Finnish national cancer research flagship project, said Tuesday that they have signed a partnership to improve the ability of Genomill's Geno1 platform to detect trace amounts of circulating tumor DNA.
Under the agreement, the partners will employ iCAN's extensive repository of patient samples and deep molecular profiling data linked to health data from more than 10,000 patients. A public-private partnership, iCAN's mission is to combine deep molecular and genetic profiling with extensive longitudinal health data to accelerate discoveries and improve patient outcomes.
Genomill's platform, designed for distribution as a kit product, is based on a proprietary barcoding-based method intended to enhance sequencing accuracy and enable fast, cost-effective, and accurate analysis of cell-free tumor DNA extracted from blood plasma samples.
"We expect this partnership will push the envelope in leveraging accessible and actionable liquid biopsies on a global scale, especially with a focus on minimal residual disease and treatment selection," Genomill CEO Kalle Koskinen said in a statement.
According to Tomi Mäkelä, iCAN's executive officer, the Genomill partnership aligns with the national project's mission to leverage its platform "for contributions to diagnostic development and for meeting the evolving needs of cancer patients."