Heidelberg Epignostix said it has formed a strategic partnership with the NHS Genomic Medicine Service to bring its epigenetic classifiers into NHS genomic laboratory services in England, starting with its CNS Tumour Methylation Classifier.
Under the deal, announced Sept. 1, Germany’s Heidelberg Epignostix will work with NHS GMS labs to deliver epigenetic tumor stratification, integrating its classifiers with existing and forthcoming laboratory workflows. The company will provide the test free of charge for all pediatric patients across England for three years. More classifiers, including for sarcoma and other tumor types, are planned for future rollout.
“An accurate diagnosis is the foundation of every treatment decision we make for a child with a brain tumour,” Darren Hargrave, a pediatric neuro-oncologist at University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, said in a statement. “Having methylation-based classification readily available across the NHS will help us match children to the right therapy sooner and avoid treatment they do not need.”
Heidelberg Epignostix’s CNS Tumour Methylation Classifier distinguishes more than 180 central nervous system tumor subtypes and has been applied to more than 180,000 patient samples worldwide.