Clinical research organization Precision for Medicine has partnered with Agena Bioscience to fill analytical gaps left as a result of samples deemed quality not sufficient (QNS) or that failed on next-generation sequencing (NGS) platforms.
In a joint study using Agena's iPLEX HS Lung Panel and advanced MassARRAY technology, along with precharacterized biospecimens with mutation data from Precision for Medicine, the companies reported that they were able to identify actionable mutations in 40% of cases.
Highlighted as part of the Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) Annual Meeting and Expo in Canada this week, the study demonstrated advanced analytical capabilities of the combined approach, specifically in lung tumor samples.
Among the findings were actionable mutations in five clinically relevant genes, according to Precision for Medicine. The genes identified were KRAS, EGFR, BRAF, ERBB2, and PIK3CA. Additionally, the MassARRAY System demonstrated a significantly lower failure rate of 2% compared to the 22% observed with NGS platforms, offering significant advantages in both research and clinical workflows, the company said.
Precision for Medicine said it houses over three million tissue samples and 16,000 fully annotated, pre-sequenced biospecimens and that the partnership with Agena Bioscience combines molecular profiling technology with biospecimen and tissue profiling services. Agena's MassARRAY System workflow couples mass spectrometry with end-point polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for genetic analysis.
