Project description
Innovative metabolism-based diagnostic platform for cancer patient follow-up
Cancer patients require regular follow-ups to detect recurrences early and optimise treatment strategies. The current surveillance approaches often result in late detection. Swedish Elypta has developed the first metabolism-based liquid biopsy to detect early-stage recurrences. The detection platform has demonstrated exceptional sensitivity with low cost, enabling frequent patient follow-ups. The technology has been tested in small clinical trials. The objectives of the EU-funded AURORAX project are to conduct a broad clinical validation trial, obtain regulatory clearance in the EU and the United States, and introduce the product for research as well as to the renal cell carcinoma diagnostics market in the EU.
Objective
Former cancer patients receive regular follow-ups to detect recurrences at early stages and optimize treatment outcomes. The follow-up frequency is currently limited by costs and radiation risks of imaging approaches used to surveil for recurrences, resulting in recurrences being detected too late – often resulting in terminal disease. Of the 139.000 annual Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC) patients, 20% are diagnosed with a metastatic recurrence within 5 years after surgery. Once metastatic, RCC survival rates drop to 12% over 5 years survival. Elypta, Sweden, has developed the first metabolism-based liquid biopsy to detect early-stage recurrences. The quantification of a metabolite signature in blood or urine and an algorithmic analysis allows for exceptional sensitivity, a low cost of the platform and significantly improves on imaging approaches in cost and risk, enabling frequent patient follow-up. Elypta’s technology has been demonstrated in small clinical trials and its cost effectiveness assessed by two independent companies. Elypta’s platform is easily scalable to other cancer indications and applications such as treatment monitoring, as demonstrated in multiple small trials. Starting in the niche RCC market with limited competition, Elypta now requires clinical evidence for a product launch within RCC. The business strategy focuses on distribution and sales through clinical laboratories, which will benefit financially off sales. During the AURORAX, Elypta will 1) perform a clinical validation trial (AUR87A) to generate strong clinical evidence, 2) obtain regulatory clearance in the EU and the US and 3) introduce the product for research use only (RUO) and after clinical validation enter the RCC diagnostics market in EU. As users of the platform, oncologist and urologists have all signed letters of support. A pharmaceutical partner has also signed a letter of support, expressing their interest in RUO use of the platform, providing a solid basis in the emerging liquid biopsy market (€200B market).
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Funding Scheme
SME-2 - SME instrument phase 2Coordinator
111 56 Stockholm
Sweden
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.