Sequenom and University of Colorado Collaborate on Liquid Biopsy Test for Melanoma

Sequenom, the San Diego-based molecular testing company, has entered into a pact with the University of Colorado School of Medicine to develop a liquid biopsy test to better monitor the treatments of melanoma patients and their potential to relapse.

Most early stage melanomas are dealt with through the removal of the afflicted tissue—it usually has to be excised entirely as part of the treatment process. A liquid biopsy would provide more options regarding monitoring how the disease is reacting to treatment.

Sequenom has developed a research-only liquid biopsy. The University of Colorado will test the assay to determine whether circulating tumor DNA in melanoma patients can be used to monitor their clinical progress.

"I believe that the ability to match patients to new treatment options and to monitor their response with a simple blood test will yield significant clinical benefit," said William Robinson, M.D., an oncology professor at the University of Colorado, in a statement. "We anticipate that the collaboration with Sequenom will allow us to closely monitor treatment response and the emergence of resistance mutations over time and make changes or adjustments in treatment much earlier than can be done currently."

Financial terms of the collaboration were not disclosed.

Melanoma is the only deadly form of skin cancer. It is highly treatable in its early stages, but a patient's long-term survival rates drop quickly after the intermediate stages of the disease. About 74,000 adults are diagnosed with the disease in the U.S. every year, and about 10,000 Americans die annually, two-thirds of whom are men.

"Liquid biopsy has many potential applications for a variety of cancers," Daniel Grosu, M.D., Sequenom's chief medical officer, said in a statement. "This is our first collaborative study focusing on melanoma, which expands the range of cancers and clinical care settings that we are exploring with this novel technology. We are uniquely positioned to leverage our strong expertise in testing circulating cell-free DNA to move liquid biopsy from a research concept to routine clinical practice in oncology."

Takeaway: Sequenom continues to delve deeper into liquid biopsies with a clinical development pact.