Delfi Diagnostics Showcases Next-Generation Liquid Biopsy Platform at the AACR
By Alex Keown
March 16, 2023
Delfi Diagnostics, a Baltimore-based company developing liquid biopsy tests for early cancer detection, will highlight its next-generation liquid biopsy platform at the American Association for Cancer Research’s (AACR) 2023 annual meeting in April.
In all, Delfi will present two oral and two poster presentations that highlight the company’s platform, which is uses a whole genome fragmentation approach to analyze cell-free DNA fragments across an entire genome. The company says its platform, when combined with breakthroughs in machine learning, can deliver high-performing results for multiple applications. Additionally, the company noted its assays are not impacted by “confounding conditions such as clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) or other diseases.”
At AACR, Delfi will demonstrate its platform capabilities in lung cancer, ovarian cancer, and its performance in monitoring the progress of metastatic colorectal cancer patients on chemotherapy.
Delfi’s DELFI (DNA Evaluation of Fragments for early Interception) platform is being assessed in multiple clinical trials, including the CACADE (Cancer Screening Assay Using DELFI) Lung study. In that trial, Delfi is attempting to validate the ability of its blood-based screening technology to detect lung cancer accurately and reliably. The platform is also being studied in the DELFI-L101 clinical trial, which is also in lung cancer.
“We’re excited to present updates on L101, and CASCADE-Lung, our clinical trials evaluating Delfi’s test for lung cancer screening, as well as new data showing how the Delfi platform performs in other applications, including monitoring,” Delfi President and Chief Operating Officer Jenn Buechel said in a statement. “Taken together, these studies begin to demonstrate the wide range of applications Delfi’s high-performing, affordable platform is capable of delivering.”
Buechel assumed the COO role earlier this year. Before joining Delfi, she held executive leadership roles at Guardant Health and GRAIL.
When Buechel was promoted to the position, she said the company has an “incredible opportunity to lower barriers to access high performing tests, not just in the US, but globally, and I’m honored to play a leadership role in this work.”
Last year, Delfi Diagnostics was selected as the “liquid lung cancer biopsy partner” in Europe’s multi-national, randomized, prospective lung cancer screening trial, 4-IN-THE-LUNG-RUN, or 4ITLR. In that study, European investigators will use Delfi’s technology to determine which European patients will most likely benefit from a CT scan following a liquid biopsy. The 4ITLR study is a collaboration between the Netherlands Cancer Institute and the institute for DiagNostic Accuracy. In the trial, Delfi’s technology will be used to analyze the first 9,000 subjects enrolled through the trial in the Netherlands and France.
The company is well financed as it continues to advance its liquid biopsy programs. In November 2022, Delfi raised $225 million in a Series B financing round. The funding was led by DFJ Growth and supported by Eli Lilly, PTX Capital, Initiate Ventures and others.
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Alex Keown is a freelance journalist who writes about a variety of subjects including the pharma, biotech, and life science industries. Prior to freelancing, Alex has served as a staff writer and editor for several publications.
