“Liquid biopsy: a key piece in the diagnostic jigsaw puzzle” by Peter Collins, Chief Business Officer, Inivata
The common theme throughout my 30-year career in drug development and molecular diagnostics has been my involvement in organizations whereby an individual’s genetic code is analyzed for biological markers with the ultimate aim of guiding patient management, from diagnosis to treatment. In particular, I have focused my efforts in the related field of companion diagnostics, identifying a test to help match a patient to a specific therapeutic drug.
Whilst working in this area, I have been hugely frustrated by the number of patients that have been woefully ‘under genotyped’; in particular those with late-stage cancer. For the clinician trying to develop an effective treatment plan, this presents a significant challenge with key pieces of their patient’s jigsaw missing. For the patient, having their genome sequenced through a non-invasive blood test, the impact is minimal, but the outcome could be sizeable.
Joining Inivata in September of this year has been an exciting step in my career, bringing all the pieces of the diagnostic jigsaw together with a blood-first approach. Through a simple blood draw, Inivata has a best-in class liquid biopsy platform, InVision, that unlocks essential genomic information in a very rapid turnaround time to guide and personalize cancer treatment, monitor response and detect relapse of disease.
Earlier this year, Inivata entered a strategic collaboration with NeoGenomics, a leading US-based cancer diagnostics and services company. The benefits of this partnership are clear, and the opportunity significant. NeoGenomics is well positioned to accelerate the commercialization of Inivata’s InVisionFirst-Lung Medicare reimbursed test in the US and I look forward to working with their team to build and strengthen this relationship.
As part of my remit at Inivata, I will be leading the business development, alliance management and clinical testing teams to ensure our technology is optimized for pharmaceutical partners looking to accelerate recruitment into clinical trials with a more accurate selection of the right patients. There is a rising tide of opportunities for partners, patients and clinicians and I look forward to working with the Inivata team to truly make a difference to people living with cancer.
