MEDTECH, MEDICAL
Businesswire | May 23, 2023
Twist Bioscience Corporation a company enabling customers to succeed through its offering of high-quality synthetic DNA using its silicon platform, today announced the launch of a portfolio of RNA sequencing tools, which includes the Twist RNA Exome, Twist RNA Library Prep Kit and the Twist Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) & Hemoglobin (Globin) Depletion Kit, as well as custom target enrichment capabilities for RNA and whole transcriptome sequencing. This comprehensive suite of RNA tools can enable targeted or whole transcriptome research across fields including precision medicine, biomarker discovery and immuno-oncology research.
“Twist’s RNA sequencing portfolio builds on our established NGS capabilities in genomic sequencing and methylation detection and expands into gene expression analysis, opening a new and significant market for Twist,” said Emily M. Leproust, Ph.D., CEO and co-founder of Twist Bioscience. “This offering allows our customers to leverage Twist’s leading target enrichment platform to discover and resolve low abundance RNA transcripts in the human transcriptome. Our RNA sequencing workflows are designed specifically for challenging samples. By enriching relevant transcripts, we can enable researchers to get high-quality data from a range of sample types, including damaged RNA.”
Unlike the genome, which is relatively static, the transcriptome changes over time in response to varying disease states and drug therapies. Gene expression levels also differ across tissues and cell types. To fully understand this dynamic quality of RNA, researchers often sequence RNA samples from the same source at multiple time points, incurring additional costs and resource burdens. Each component of the Twist RNA sequencing portfolio is purpose-built to maximize data quality, minimize workflow inefficiency, decrease wasted sequencing reads, and support comprehensive transcriptomic profiling across even low-quality and low-input samples common in oncology.
The Twist RNA sequencing portfolio provides end-to-end workflows that can be used to study total RNA and measure the whole transcriptome, protein coding sequences of messenger RNA (mRNA) or custom targets. These products can also be integrated into customers’ existing workflows. Twist RNA sequencing tools enable minimal hands-on time and increase the scale of samples sequenced through utilizing automation. They are compatible with a wide range of sample inputs, including difficult or low-quality samples. RNA panel designs can also now incorporate Twist’s new exon-aware design algorithm, which reduces bias in detection and can provide an important tool for researchers studying rare gene transcripts that drive tumor biology.
Twist Targeted RNA Sequencing Workflow
Twist target enrichment for RNA leverages the performance, efficiency and sensitivity of Twist target enrichment for sequencing of RNA transcripts of interest across samples and species. It can be used to enrich relevant transcripts with the RNA Exome or in custom RNA panels.
Twist RNA Exome
The Twist RNA Exome with Twist’s exon-aware design algorithm enables targeted sequencing of the protein coding regions of the human transcriptome without bias toward specific combinations of exons. The Twist RNA Exome covers up to 99.9% of protein coding sequencing in Gencode and RefSeq databases. This coverage, along with the exon-aware design approach, could enable researchers to capture important transcripts including those in low input and degraded samples from formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) sections.
Twist Whole Transcriptome Sequencing Workflow
Twist Whole Transcriptome Sequencing can be used to discover novel transcripts, including low expressing genes and novel isoforms. It can be used with a variety of samples including whole blood, fresh and frozen tissue samples and low quality samples, such as FFPE samples. The Twist rRNA & Globin Depletion Kit can be used with this workflow to deplete rRNA and hemoglobin targets so that researchers can study the rest of the transcriptome. The full workflow can be completed in less than five hours with minimal hands-on time.
About Twist Bioscience Corporation
Twist Bioscience is a leading and rapidly growing synthetic biology and genomics company that has developed a disruptive DNA synthesis platform to industrialize the engineering of biology. The core of the platform is a proprietary technology that pioneers a new method of manufacturing synthetic DNA by “writing” DNA on a silicon chip. Twist is leveraging its unique technology to manufacture a broad range of synthetic DNA-based products, including synthetic genes, tools for next-generation sequencing (NGS) preparation, and antibody libraries for drug discovery and development. Twist is also pursuing longer-term opportunities in digital data storage in DNA and biologics drug discovery. Twist makes products for use across many industries including healthcare, industrial chemicals, agriculture and academic research.
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INDUSTRIAL IMPACT, MEDICAL
Globenewswire | March 31, 2023
Omega Therapeutics, Inc. a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering the development of a new class of programmable epigenetic mRNA medicines, today announced a clinical supply agreement with Roche to evaluate OTX-2002, its lead candidate in development for the treatment of MYC-driven hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), in combination with Roche’s anti-PD-L1 therapy, atezolizumab, as part of Omega’s Phase 1/2 MYCHELANGELO™ I clinical trial.
“This agreement with Roche represents continued execution of our clinical trial strategy and the next step toward realizing the transformative potential of OTX-2002, a first-in-class epigenomic controller designed to pre-transcriptionally downregulate the MYC oncogene, a historically undruggable target,” said Mahesh Karande, President and Chief Executive Officer of Omega Therapeutics. “In preclinical studies, OTX-2002 demonstrated synergistic antitumor activity with existing standard of care therapies for HCC, including anti-PD-1 and anti-PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors, with minimal impact on safety and tolerability. Through the combination of two orthogonal treatments, OTX-2002 and atezolizumab, a leading anti-PD-L1 therapy, we aim to simultaneously disrupt multiple drivers of cancer progression with the goal of improving treatment outcomes. With Roche’s support and partnership, we look forward to assessing the ability of this novel combination approach to enhance antitumor immune response in patients with advanced HCC.”
The ongoing Phase 1/2 MYCHELANGELO I trial is designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and preliminary antitumor activity of OTX-2002 as a monotherapy (Part 1) and in combination with standard of care therapies in patients with relapsed or refractory HCC and other solid tumor types known for association with the MYC oncogene. Preliminary data from the Phase 1 monotherapy dose escalation portion of the study are anticipated in 2023.
Under the terms of this agreement, Roche will supply atezolizumab and Omega will evaluate the combination as part of the overall conduct of the trial.
About Omega Therapeutics
Omega Therapeutics, founded by Flagship Pioneering, is a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering the development of a new class of programmable epigenetic mRNA medicines. The Company's OMEGA platform harnesses the power of epigenetics, the mechanism that controls gene expression and every aspect of an organism's life from cell genesis, growth, and differentiation to cell death. Using a suite of technologies, paired with Omega's process of systematic, rational, and integrative drug design, the OMEGA platform enables control of fundamental epigenetic processes to correct the root cause of disease by returning aberrant gene expression to a normal range without altering native nucleic acid sequences. Omega's modular and programmable mRNA medicines, Omega Epigenomic Controllers™(OECs), target specific epigenomic loci within insulated genomic domains, EpiZips, from amongst thousands of unique, mapped, and validated genome-wide DNA sequences, with high specificity to durably tune single or multiple genes to treat and cure diseases through unprecedented precision epigenomic control. Omega’s approach enables pre-transcriptional control of most human genes including historically undruggable, intractable, and difficult to treat targets. Omega’s pipeline of OEC candidates spans a range of disease areas, including oncology, regenerative medicine, multigenic diseases including immunology, and select monogenic diseases.are Diseases and Orphan Drugs from the Accreditation Commission for Health Care. PANTHERx is now a five-time winner of the prestigious MMIT Patient Choice Award, including the 2022 honor. PANTHERx is headquartered in Pittsburgh, licensed in all 50 states, and holds accreditations from URAC, NABP, and ACHC.
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INDUSTRIAL IMPACT, DIAGNOSTICS
Prnewswire | April 26, 2023
PathAI, a global leader in AI-powered pathology, and ConcertAI, a leader in AI software-as-a-service technology and real-world evidence solutions for life sciences and healthcare, today announced a strategic partnership to launch a first-in-class quantitative histopathology and curated clinical real-world data (RWD) solution combining PathAI's PathExplore™ tumor microenvironment panel with ConcertAI's Patient360™ and RWD360™ products.
Utilizing real world H&E-stained samples from PathAI's pathology laboratory, PathExplore extracts quantitative measures of the tumor microenvironment, known as human interpretable features (HIFs), from whole slide images. These data are linked to Patient360's reference-standard abstracted clinical EMR, medical claims, and Social Determinants of Health data, allowing direct insights into current standards of care and treatment dynamics. Similarly, the data are also linked to RWD360, which provides scaled insights from structured EMR data, medical claims, and Social Determinants of Health for large populations.
"Real world data products include clinical and outcomes data, but are missing a critical component that links these, namely pathology, which has historically been non-standardized or with limited quantification," said Andy Beck, CEO and co-founder of PathAI. "Our collaboration with ConcertAI will offer access to a uniquely linked quantitative pathology dataset, allowing researchers to explore hypotheses far beyond the scope of small, controlled datasets, such as identifying and analyzing novel histological biomarkers correlated with patient treatment and outcomes."
"Analysis of tumor microenvironment characteristics is critical to understanding why certain patients respond to a specific therapy and others do not. It further allows the definition of clinical strategies that might increase the numbers of patients benefiting from current medicines and improve the effectiveness of new ones," said Jeff Elton, PhD, CEO of ConcertAI. "With PathAI we are creating the first large scale clinical datasets linking pathology HIFs with EMR-derived clinical data, greatly enhancing the armamentarium of the translational and clinical development research communities."
ConcertAI and PathAI will jointly offer these combined solutions to biopharma customers, including translational research and real-world data teams. The initial solutions focus on bladder cancer, colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, and melanoma. For more information, contact us at PathAI or ConcertAI, or visit us at PathAI's exhibit and ConcertAI's exhibit at ASCO in Chicago, IL, on June 2-6, 2023.
PathAI and PathExplore are a registered trademark and trademark respectively of PathAI. ConcertAI, Patient360, and RWD360 are registered trademarks or trademarks of ConcertAI. All rights reserved.
About ConcertAI
ConcertAI is a leader in Real-World Evidence (RWE) and AI Software-as-a-Service solutions for life sciences and healthcare. Our mission is to accelerate insights and advance clinical outcomes for patients through advanced AI technologies, multi-modal real-world data, and scientific expertise in partnership with the leading biomedical innovators, healthcare providers, and medical societies.
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