Precision Monitoring of More Than 15 Common Cancers now Feasible with GATCLIQUID ONCOTARGET

GATC Biotech, a world-wide leading provider of innovative sequencing and diagnostic solutions, announced another expansion of the target list for its liquid biopsy-based service, GATCLIQUID ONCOTARGET. The product now enables highly sensitive detection of the most important mutations in more than 15 frequently diagnosed cancers including breast, lung, prostate and colorectal cancer. Thanks to proprietary protocols for isolation of DNA from a simple blood draw, the service can be used to affordably and accurately monitor common tumor-associated mutations.

“Highly efficient protocols are necessary for precise circulating tumor DNA analysis,” commented Dr Tobias Paprotka, Director Research & Development at GATC Biotech. “GATCLIQUID ONCOTARGET achieves sensitivities down to 0.1% and we have now significantly increased the number of mutations that can be interrogated with our ultra-sensitive method. With the expanded target list and the possibility to combine the detection of different mutations, researchers and physicians can now track many common cancer mutations.”

With GATCLIQUID ONCOTARGET, it is possible to observe the frequencies of the few most important mutations related to a particular cancer type. This molecular information is highly relevant to clinical studies that aim to identify suitable targeted therapy options or to evaluate a tumor’s resistance to treatments. GATCLIQUID ONCOTARGET can help to analyze 22 successfully validated targets, including mutations in well-known oncogenes, tumor suppressors, as well as genes commonly associated with acquired drug resistance. The droplet digital PCR-based test can identify genomic alterations in key cancer-related genes now including also AKT1, APC, HER2, PTEN and TP53 with extraordinary high sensitivity.

“Despite the expansion of our current target list, we will continue to optimize conditions for interrogation of individually requested mutations that are not yet included in our service,” concluded Dr Paportka. “We want to make this service beneficial to anyone interested in improving the detection of cancer.”

GATCLIQUID ONCOTARGET is part of the GATCLIQUID service line of liquid biopsy assays. As a standardized product, the service offers sample processing by trained specialists, data analysis by top BioIT experts and stringent quality controls at nearly every step of the workflow. GATCLIQUID ONCOTARGET, as all other GATCLIQUID products, is designed to provide reliable, non-invasive detection of cancer mutations as part of a wider drive towards more personalized therapy in cancer.