Bio-Rad & Allegheny Health Network Cancer Institute Collaborate to Advance Personalized Monitoring of Solid Tumor Cancers With Droplet Digital PCR

Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. recently announced a collaboration with Allegheny Health Network (AHN) aimed to generate clinical evidence across a range of cancer types to support the implementation of Bio-Rad’s Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR) technology for tumor-informed molecular residual disease (MRD) monitoring of patients with solid tumor cancer following curative-intent treatment.

MRD monitoring in patients provides a critical indication of both remission and potential relapse. MRD testing has been widely adopted for monitoring hematological malignancies and is now being implemented for solid tumor diseases. However, disease markers such as circulating tumor DNA, or ctDNA, are often in very low abundance in the blood, especially for solid tumors, and this necessitates an ultra-sensitive detection method. Offering unmatched sensitivity, precision, and absolute quantification capabilities, Bio-Rad’s multiplex ddPCR technology could be used to detect molecular responses earlier and more precisely than is possible with other commonly used technologies, including next-generation sequencing (NGS).

The collaboration combines Bio-Rad’s market leading digital PCR technology and track record in molecular oncology, assay design and development with AHN’s cancer-care expertise, clinical data, and patient samples collected through the AHN Cancer Institute’s Moonshot program. Moonshot has assembled samples and data from thousands of patients to enable biomarker research for predicting patient outcomes and response to therapy.

Together, through this project, Bio-Rad and AHN aim to generate clinical evidence to support the use of Bio-Rad’s Droplet Digital PCR Systems, including the QX600 ddPCR System, in routine MRD monitoring of patients with a range of solid tumor types. The advanced multiplexing capabilities of the QX600 ddPCR System enable the development of assays with unparalleled sensitivity plus a cost-effective, fast, and straightforward approach, with the potential of improving cancer patient outcomes by enabling more timely and effective therapeutic interventions.

“Bio-Rad is partnering to accelerate research with industry leaders and major academic and clinical centers to establish ddPCR as a foundational technology, and this project with AHN is a prime example of our dedication to supporting molecular monitoring in oncology worldwide,” said Simon May, EVP and President of Life Sciences at Bio-Rad Laboratories. “We are proud to be active players in the growing MRD space, and we are confident that the unmatched sensitivity and precision of our ddPCR platform takes the industry another step toward improving the lives of cancer patients.”

“AHN is committed to finding innovative ways to treat our cancer patients based on their unique genomic characteristics to achieve the best outcome possible within our Living Health model,” added William A. LaFramboise, PhD, Professor and Chief Genomics Technology Officer, AHN Cancer Institute. “Implementing novel molecular technology in partnership with Bio-Rad will allow us to monitor the response of solid tumors to therapy using routine patient blood samples and will help us achieve proof-of-concept for Bio-Rad’s ddPCR platform in detecting MRD in our patients.”

Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: BIO and BIO.B) is a leader in developing, manufacturing, and marketing a broad range of products for the life science research and clinical diagnostics markets. Based in Hercules, California, Bio-Rad operates a global network of research, development, manufacturing, and sales operations with over 8,000 employees and $2.7 billion in revenues in 2023. Our customers include universities, research institutions, hospitals, food safety and environmental quality laboratories, and biopharmaceutical companies. Together, we develop innovative, high-quality products that advance science and save lives. Learn more about how Bio-Rad’s ddPCR technology is advancing the field of MRD. To learn more, visit bio-rad.com.

Allegheny Health Network is a western Pennsylvania-based integrated healthcare system that serves patients from across a five-state region that includes western Pennsylvania and the adjacent regions of Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, and New York. The Network’s Cancer Institute employs more than 200 physicians and 500 oncology professionals who provide a complete spectrum of oncology care at 24 affiliated oncology clinics, including access to state-of-the-art technologies and new therapies being explored in hundreds of clinical cancer trials. The Cancer Institute has the only cancer program in the Pittsburgh region accredited as an Integrated Network Cancer Program by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer, and its radiation oncology program is the largest in the country accredited by the American Society for Radiation Oncology. AHN Cancer Institute is a Quality Oncology Practice Initiative certified practice and is accredited by the Foundation for Accreditation of Cellular Therapy, National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers and the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer.