- During 2021, the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology will be the first center in Europe to establish a liquid biopsy testing laboratory using an industry-leading proprietary digital sequencing platform from Guardant Health, an international leader in precision oncology.
- This technology, which will be used primarily for more precise selection of treatments for patients based on their molecular profile, will make it possible to detect more mutations in less time and to perform a more comprehensive follow-up, a significant advancement compared to the tests currently available.
Barcelona, January 18, 2021– The Vall d’Hebron Institute o Oncology (VHIO), which is part of the Vall d’Hebron Campus, has reached an agreement with Guardant Health, Inc. to incorporate its breakthrough liquid biopsy technology. VHIO will become the first cancer research center in Europe to have a laboratory with this platform, which will provide complete genomic results in all solid tumors from a simple blood draw in seven days, helping to overcome the limitations of tissue biopsies so patients can receive the best treatments.
Guardant Health is an international leader in precision oncology and the first company to receive Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for its Guardant360 CDx liquid biopsy test for comprehensive genomic profiling.
“By bringing this technology to the VHIO, we hope to be able to detect more mutations so as to better select treatments for each patient and research new therapies that may be effective, as well as to be able to determine which patients may be candidates for the different clinical trials we have open, based on their molecular profile and their response to therapies,” stated Dr. Josep Tabernero, Director of the VHIO and Head of the Medical Oncology Department of Vall d’Hebron University Hospital.
“With this technology, we will be able to give more support to clinical research, to select the best treatments based on the molecular profiles of those patients with solid cancers who do not respond to standard treatments,” explained Dr. Ana Vivancos, Head of the VHIO Cancer Genomics Group, the team in charge of this new service. “Without a doubt, with this technology, we are going to take a significant leap toward the next generation of therapies with precision medicine in oncology,” she added.
Speaking for the company, Helmy Eltoukhy, CEO of Guardant Health, said, “We are pleased to announce this partnership with the VHIO, which will provide comprehensive genomic liquid biopsy testing to more cancer patients in Spain and beyond.” He added, “Our vision is for all cancer patients worldwide to have access to cutting-edge diagnostics to allow better results through earlier, rapid and precise diagnostics, selection of therapies and monitoring, and this partnership is an important step to make that vision a reality.”
Precision medicine: How we can use a blood test to detect more mutations and better select treatments for our patients
Precision medicine is increasingly important for patients with advanced cancer. Some therapies offer better results for the patient and fewer side effects than broad-based chemotherapy. But an individual’s response to a given treatment often depends on the genomic profile of his or her tumor.
Collecting clinically relevant genomic information through a blood sample helps patients avoid an additional surgical or tissue biopsy and overcomes the limitations of tissue samples.
Guardant Health liquid biopsy tests have been widely used in clinical trials (more than 150,000 tests performed to date), with over 200 peer-reviewed publications demonstrating their benefits for patients. These tests are used by oncologists around the world to guide treatment decisions in solid tumor cancers and by pharmaceutical companies and academic researchers in clinical trials to accelerate the development of precision medicine drugs.
