IMBdx and AstraZeneca have expanded their collaboration agreement to promote the transition from tissue to liquid biopsy, following the successful assessment of a blood-based genomic profiling assay in prostate cancer.

This move will provide a wide range of options for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) through the AlphaLiquid HRR test, which is part of the PROSPER 2.0 project.

The AlphaLiquid HRR test is a next-generation sequencing-based test designed to assess plasma circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) and report genomic modifications across all 15 homologous recombination repair (HRR) genes.

Currently, the assay is marketed in various international regions, including Colombia, Mexico, Lebanon, Ukraine, Australia, Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE.

The objective of this collaboration is to enhance the availability of targeted therapies for mCRPC patients in global markets beyond the US.

IMBdx co-founder and CEO Dr Tae-You Kim said: “IMBdx developed the AlphaLiquid platform, a top-tier performance liquid biopsy test capable of detecting mutations at an exceptionally low level in human blood.

“We highly value our collaboration with AstraZeneca, which aims to make better clinical decisions that will ultimately benefit more cancer patients and improve their quality of life.”

Under the PROSPER 2.0 project, both entities are working together to enhance awareness among clinicians and patients about ctDNA testing’s clinical utility for mCRPC patients. It will help identify patients who can benefit from targeted therapies.

The companies are also focused on increasing awareness about the identification capability of HRR gene alterations through AlphaLiquid HRR ctDNA testing.