Cancer Genetics, Inc. Launches Next Generation Sequencing Panel for Diagnosis & Treatment Selection in Solid Tumors, CGI FOCUS::Oncomine™

Cancer Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ:CGIX) announced today the successful CLIA validation and commercial launch of its next generation sequencing (NGS) assay FOCUS::ONCOMINE™ for solid tumors. The assay enables simultaneous testing of DNA and RNA, enabling sequencing of 35 hotspot genes, 19 genes associated with copy number variations, and 23 fusion genes, all in a single workflow.
According to the news:

The technology addresses one of the main challenges of solid tumor testing – the scarcity of tissue material – requiring minimal sample input per run, enabling accurate and reliable analysis of sequences from different tumor sample types, including small biopsies and fine needle aspirates. The FOCUS::ONCOMINE™ assay is based on Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Oncomine Focus assay. It runs on the proven Ion Torrent™ NGS platform and includes the powerful Ion AmpliSeq™ library preparation technology, known to perform extremely well on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor tissue samples.

Panna Sharma, Chief Executive Officer and President of CGI commented:

Clinical demand for actionable and focused NGS panels is increasing in both the community setting and among clinical trials. By offering a focused panel that provides information for known molecular pathways and that has significant clinical evidence, we are enabling precision medicine for our customers and their patients. For our biopharma customers, profiling with clinically actionable solid tumor panels can provide a view of pathway alterations, which links potential biomarkers to access clinical outcomes in prospective or retrospective studies at a cost similar to Sanger sequencing of just a few genes.

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