On March 14, 2022 SOPHiA GENETICS (Nasdaq: SOPH) and REALM IDx reported that they signed a letter of intent to collaborate in the co-development of novel genomic applications and commercialization of multi-modal applications (Press release, Sophia Genetics, MAR 14, 2022, View Source [SID1234610032]). Together, the companies aim to expand next-generation sequencing (NGS) research for cancer care and develop new multi-modal data streams to improve patient outcomes. The companies expect to enter into a definitive collaboration agreement following further discussion.
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NGS is becoming the new standard of care in cancer diagnostics, particularly as novel therapies require genomic information to be prescribed in a personalized way. With the intended collaboration, SOPHiA GENETICS and REALM IDx’s endeavor is to enrich and scale the analysis of NGS assays, including Homologous Recombination Deficiency (HRD). Assessments can leverage TumorNEXT-HRD, a product of Ambry Genetics, a subsidiary of REALM IDx. SOPHiA GENETICS and REALM IDx also expect to explore the potential for increasing diagnostic insights by combining Ambry Genetics’ Variant Assessment database (AVA) with SOPHiA GENETICS’ SOPHiA DDM (Data-Driven Medicine) platform for HRD detection.
"SOPHiA GENETICS’ mission is to advance data-driven medicine to improve health outcomes worldwide. We want to bring together our global SOPHiA DDM platform, powered by AI and machine learning, with REALM IDx’s cancer screening capabilities and early detection diagnostics. Our goal is to enable health care professionals to leverage insights across multiple data sources with the aim to provide better diagnosis and treatments for the benefit of patients around the world," said Jurgi Camblong, co-founder and CEO, SOPHiA GENETICS.
SOPHiA GENETICS and REALM IDx also share an interest in bringing together genomics, radiology, and pathology data, combined with artificial intelligence, to generate actionable insights. While REALM IDx’s subsidiary Ambry Genetics has focused on screening and early detection diagnostics in pancreatic and breast cancers, SOPHiA GENETICS’ focus has been on prediction response models in advanced stage cancers, such as lung cancer. The companies hope that synergies between SOPHiA GENETICS and REALM IDx may provide opportunities to explore combining data sources and capabilities in the multimodal space, potentially creating a roadmap for comprehensive oncology applications.
As part of the intended collaboration, SOPHiA GENETICS may use Ambry Genetics’ lab for their sequencing needs. The companies believe that the combination of Ambry Genetics’ decades of leadership in clinical next-generation sequencing and translational analysis and the SOPHiA DDM cloud-based analytics platform, can support improved clinical research decisions by pharmaceutical companies.
"The heart of our work is the ability to combine patient data from multiple sources to improve treatment decisions and discover new medicines," said Jonathan Usuka, Ph.D., chief strategy and informatics officer of REALM IDx. "With the synergies we hope to realize from collaborating with SOPHiA GENETICS, we will continue to enhance our ability to address some of health care’s most challenging diseases."