Diaceutics Collaborates With Industry Advisor Network to Publish Multiple Cancer Insights

Diaceutics today reveals new data insights into key areas of cancer testing. In collaboration with the company’s network of industry advisors, the research has just been published in four abstracts and one poster at this year’s virtual American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conference. It exposes inefficiencies in precision medicine testing that are preventing patients from getting the treatment that they need, when they need it.

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Jordan Clark, Chief Technical Officer, Diaceutics (Photo: Business Wire)

Diaceutics’ ASCO research provides a snapshot of the breadth of testing issues that can be addressed through collaboration on the DXRX network. The value of this can be seen in its FLT3 research, for example: using a standard health economic model¹, Diaceutics calculated that failure to test for FLT3 could lead to an economic burden in the US of $148 million to $445 million where Midostaurin could have been prescribed, and $139 million to $417 million where Giltertinib would have been the appropriate treatment.

Research Highlights

• FLT3²: Diaceutics examined the economic cost of not testing for FLT3 to treat acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a cancer with poor five-year survival rates and high treatment costs. The FDA approved two FLT3 precision medicines for AML in the last four years. Diaceutics found that these therapies can provide hope for AML patients and every year, 2,164 FLT3 patients in the US could benefit from precision medicine interventions, generating up to 2,965 quality-adjusted life years.

• NTRK³: On a global scale, using the world’s largest repository of diagnostic testing data, Diaceutics’ research shows the dramatic variation in levels of test availability for NTRK between the EU, US and Asia. NTRK is one of the first hyper-targeted pan-tumor biomarkers which is dependent on the testing ecosystem. Diaceutics found that 73% of the top 30 labs in the US are carrying out NTRK fusion testing, compared to just 22% of Japan’s top nine; 54% of China’s top 13; 60% of Italy’s top 20 and 65% of France’s top 20.

• HRD⁴: Diaceutics’ research team examined HRD, an emerging predictive biomarker across multiple cancers, and a companion biomarker for two new drug approvals this month. Diaceutics found that a lack of standardized HRD panels and low testing rates are leading to poorer outcomes for ovarian cancer patients who may have been eligible for PARP inhibitor treatment. Research was based on a data set of 8,400 metastatic ovarian cancer patients.

• KRAS G12C⁵: Insights from the DXRX diagnostic network also provides market readiness analysis for prospective therapies targeting KRAS-G12C – an aggressive, poor survival tumor genotype – in lung, colorectal and pancreatic cancers. Analysis of Diaceutics’ data found that following treatment with first-line therapies, primary tumor profile results can be less reliable. The team concluded that there is a need for improved reimbursement and repeated testing post-treatment for the continued efficacy in therapeutics – especially for patients with pancreatic cancer.

• TP53⁶: Diaceutics studied a cohort of 984 patients diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). The study found that where there was a TP53 mutation detected, patients had negative associations with 7 specific genes (ASXL1, CEBPA, FLT3, IDH1, NRAS, RUN1, TET2), meaning that a TP53 antagonist and targeted therapy may be a valuable treatment option in rare cases where co-mutation exists.

Chief Technical Officer, Jordan Clark, said: “Our data consistently reveals that testing inefficiencies due to a lack of collaboration among precision medicine stakeholders remains today’s most significant obstacle to getting every patient the treatment they deserve.