Tracer Biotechnologies has partnered with Qiagen to advance blood-based minimal residual disease (MRD) testing for solid tumours.
The collaboration aims to offer highly sensitive and cost-effective solutions to monitor cancer recurrence and guide tailored treatment decisions using minimally invasive blood samples.
Under the partnership, Tracer and Qiagen will co-develop and commercialise MRD assays on Qiagen’s QIAcuity digital PCR platform.
Tracer Biotechnologies specialises in blood-based molecular diagnostics for cancer detection and monitoring, and offers two MRD solutions, Tracer dPCR and Tracer WGS.
The company offers two MRD solutions, Tracer dPCR and Tracer WGS.
Tracer dPCR is a tumour-informed, multiplexed digital PCR assay for bespoke MRD tests.
Tracer WGS is an AI-powered whole-genome ctDNA platform for ultra-sensitive tumour-agnostic detection without prior tissue.
Tracer Biotechnologies CEO Mark Kaganovich said: “Partnering with QIAGEN enables Tracer to bring our solid tumour MRD expertise to a broader market using a robust digital PCR platform in QIAcuity.
“With QIAcuity’s sensitivity and scalability, we can deliver high-quality companion diagnostics that integrate seamlessly into clinical workflows and offer new options to oncologists and patients.”
Based in the Netherlands and Germany, Qiagen provides technologies to isolate and process DNA, RNA, and proteins from various materials for analysis.
The company serves over 500,000 customers worldwide in life sciences and molecular diagnostics, offering seamless and cost-effective workflows.
Last month, Qiagen partnered with ID Solutions to enhance its digital PCR (dPCR) oncology research offerings using ID Solutions’ expertise in assay development and manufacturing.
Under the partnership, ID Solutions will manufacture and supply dPCR assays for Qiagen’s QIAcuity platforms, specifically for non-clinical research.
The assays are designed to detect multiple mutations in both cell-free DNA from plasma and genomic DNA from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue.
Qiagen vice president and precision diagnostics partnering head Jonathan Arnold said: “This new partnership represents an important step in further establishing Qiagen’s major role in oncology.
“We are bringing innovative MRD technologies into drug development through our companion diagnostic partnerships.
“In particular, we want to strengthen our scalable, cost-effective solutions based on our QIAcuity digital PCR system and enable our pharmaceutical partners to use MRD insights for guiding personalised treatment decisions for cancer patients.”
