ANGLE PLC (AIM:AGL, OTCQX:ANPCY) said its freshly inked partnership with NuProbe USA is set to accelerate its progress towards the first "pan-cancer" molecular sequencing assay.
In layperson's terms, this means the test could be coupled with ANGLE's Parsotix liquid biopsy system and used across multiple types of cancer.
Using the two technologies in tandem should allow either the analysis of circulating tumour cell DNA (CTC-DNA) alone or a combined analysis of both circulating tumour cells (CTCs) and circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA), all from a single blood sample.
This twin-pronged approach would provide a more comprehensive view of the cancer’s genetic profile, potentially improving diagnosis and treatment options.
Under the deal, ANGLE can use NuProbe’s next-generation sequencing (NGS) panel to analyse CTCs and ctDNA. The AIM-listed med-tech group has the option for an exclusive global license, excluding China, for the commercial use of the NGS panel.
NuProbe's diagnostic can detect over 6,500 DNA mutations across 61 clinically significant cancer genes and has been validated on Illumina sequencers.
ANGLE's chief scientific officer Karen Miller said: "Dual analysis of CTCs and ctDNA can provide additional and complementary information which will provide pharma services customers with unparalleled and repeatable insights into a range of cancers, and in the longer-term provide clinicians with the potential for continual optimisation of personalised cancer treatment plans."