Innovative diagnostic technology stimulates collaborations and attracts inward investment to Cambridge
Increased efficiency in identifying collaborative partners
After the loss of his father to lung cancer, Dr Nitzan Rosenfeld, a trained physicist, left a role in computational biology to set up a research group at CRUK Cambridge Institute to collaborate and investigate new approaches to unlocking essential genomic information from a blood draw. Dr Rosenfeld engaged a key collaborator in clinical research at the Institute, Dr James Brenton, to further their efforts. The team were able to demonstrate for the first time that specific cancer mutations could be identified and monitored in liquid biopsies through next generation panel sequencing. This would be revolutionary in cancer diagnosis and treatment. The challenge was to make this new innovation available to clinicians and patients.
“There had to be a better approach for people with lung cancer.”
Top Tips for working across disciplines
Strengthened interaction
The CRUK Cambridge Institute provided the team with an environment where scientists and clinical oncologists could interact to address areas of unmet medical need – sharing knowledge and facilities. Much of the early validation work was conducted in collaboration with clinical colleagues in the Institute as well as clinicians in Addenbrooke’s Hospital and other medical centres.
With continued clinical validation proving the effectiveness of the pioneering InVision® liquid biopsy platform, Inivata was spun-out from CRUK Cambridge Institute in 2014 to progress the research and develop further clinical applications.
“We knew our approach had the potential to change how cancer patients were treated in the future.”
- Key Enablers
- Knowledge Exchange Network
- Connect: Health Tech University Enterprise Zone
Successful market deployment of liquid biopsy platform allowing for more informed treatments for cancer patients
Inward investment
Through successful clinical collaborations and validation work, Inivata was able to raise an early investment of £4 million from Cambridge Innovation Capital, Imperial Innovations and Johnson and Johnson Development Corporation to realise the potential of the technology.
In the UK alone, lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in the UK, accounting for 21% of all cancer deaths (2018*).
* Source
“To have the most immediate impact on patients, we wanted to develop a test both that clinicians would use for their patients and that payers would fund. Selecting lung cancer was the result of a combination of factors.”
The strength of Inivata’s research and technology validation has recently garnered further support through a Series C funding round of over £25 million, allowing further acceleration of clinical development and rollout of their personalised assay technology RaDaR™
Large group of beneficiaries
From the very start, Inivata has focused on addressing the needs of clinicians to improve the quality of cancer management to their patients. By working closely with clinical oncologists, they have been able to refine the product to meet the needs of its stakeholders.
Understanding the diverse range of beneficiaries of their products, Inivata works with industry and academics to develop new clinical applications for ctDNA analysis which bring real benefits to clinicians and patients.
Dr Rosenfeld still continues his research at the CRUK Cambridge Institute looking for new ways to develop the product pipeline, and to run clinical studies to investigate future applications for Inivata solutions. Staying abreast of developments in this space is how they keep ahead of the curve.
“Twenty years ago, there were barely any targeted therapies for patients and diagnosis of the disease relied on histological techniques. Cancer diagnostics has come a long way and I am delighted that my research team and Inivata have been able to play a part in its progression.”
A personal passion for innovation creates a pathway for revolutionary breakthrough in cancer diagnosis and treatment
Inivata develops and delivers innovative liquid biopsy products that provide personalised information to improve treatment decisions for people living with cancer. They work with leading industry and academic researchers to develop new clinical applications for liquid biopsy and ctDNA analysis.
Using a simple blood draw, circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) analysis is an effective tool for oncologists to understand the genetic profile of tumours, stratify patients, optimise treatment selection and monitor individual response to treatment.
Inivata has two main products:
InVisionFirst-Lung: a gene panel liquid biopsy testing 37 genes relevant to the care of patients with advanced NSCLC.
RaDaR™: A multi-tumour personalised assay for the detection of residual disease and recurrence.
