NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Next-generation sequencing-based cancer testing firm OncoDNA has been chosen by the National Blood and Cancer Center in Saudi Arabia as a preferred supplier of molecular diagnostic tests to parts of the Middle East.
Under the terms of the agreement, OncoDNA will make available its OncoDEEP DX and OncoDEEP Clinical cancer panels to Gulf Cooperation Council countries, comprising Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
According to OncoDNA's website, OncoDEEP DX includes 40 genes "with all the genes linked to targeted cancer treatments currently on the market." OncoDEEP Clinical is a "wide clinical investigation cancer panel" that includes 400 genes "with all the genes linked to targeted cancer treatments currently being developed," the company said.
OncoDEEP Clinical is run only if OncoDEEP DX fails to detect any actionable mutations, OncoDNA added. The company specializes in the analysis of tumor DNA and is a subsidiary of Bio.Be, an affiliated company of the Institute of Pathology and Genetics in Belgium.
NBCC is a specialized center for diagnosing and treating blood diseases and cancers, and it aims to bring new "high-value" technologies to Saudi Arabia and its neighbors at an affordable price, it said.
Financial and other terms of the deal were not disclosed.