OncoDNA and Bergonié Institute to test the clinical utility of blood-and tissue-based biomarker tests in oncology

OncoDNA, a genomic and theranostic company specializing in precision medicine, and Bergonié Institute, a non-profit private hospital entirely devoted to fighting cancer, today announced a new clinical trial to evaluate the use of comprehensive biomarker testing and liquid biopsy in 700 patients diagnosed with an advanced metastatic cancer. The Appolo study will recruit patients from 6 participating sites across the French Aquitaine region to be offered OncoDEEP® and OncoFOLLOW™ biomarker tests.

As part of the Appolo study led by Bergonié Institute, OncoDNA will provide OncoDEEP® and OncoFOLLOW™ - two biomarker tests that use next-generation sequencing to personalize cancer care.

Clinicians will have access to OncoDEEP® at initial diagnosis. Compared to single biomarker testing, OncoDEEP® is a comprehensive solution designed to help them predict a patient’s eligibility to cancer drugs and plan the entire treatment journey – from standard to experimental therapy – in one single analysis. The test looks for hundreds of biomarkers in a small amount of tumor tissue, including complex genomic signatures like tumor mutational burden (TMB), homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) and microsatellite instability (MSI) that can determine whether immunotherapy or PARP inhibitors would work for a patient. 

Patients will also undergo the OncoFOLLOW™ liquid biopsy test at different stages of their treatment journey. This personalized blood-based test will help clinicians to closely monitor a patient’s response to treatment and take immediate action in the event of treatment resistance or new mutations.  As its name implies, the OncoFOLLOW™ test follows the progression of the mutations that drive a patient’s cancer, by analyzing fragments of the tumor DNA that circulate in the patient’s bloodstream.  

“OncoDNA is delighted to work alongside Bergonié Institute to provide access to biomarker testing for routine cancer care. OncoDEEP® and OncoFOLLOW™ will provide valuable insights to inform clinical decisions and identify additional treatments, which may not have been considered through more traditional testing. Through the Appolo study, we hope to demonstrate that using comprehensive biomarker testing at initial diagnosis and liquid biopsy through treatment journey is essential to maximize patients’ clinical benefits”, SAID BÉRENGÈRE GÉNIN, HEAD OF ACADEMICS AND RESEARCH BUSINESS UNIT AT ONCODNA.

“We are glad to provide through this study an access to comprehensive molecular profiling for the patients managed at the sites of our clinical research network. Precision medicine is key to improve the outcome of cancer patients” ADDED PROFESSOR ANTOINE ITALIANO, HEAD OF THE EARLY PHASE TRIALS AND SARCOMA UNITS AT INSTITUTE BERGONIÉ AND PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR OF THE APPOLO CLINICAL STUDY.