Precision medicine firm SOPHiA GENETICS has announced a partnership with Synnovis, one of England's leading pathology providers, to bring liquid biopsy testing to lung and breast cancer patients across the UK as part of NHS England's revolutionary ‘blood test-first' programme.
Synnovis, a major provider for England's South East Genomic Medicine Service, worked with SOPHiA GENETICS to launch the liquid biopsy test MSK-ACCESS powered with SOPHiA DDM. This innovative test, originally developed by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, detects actionable genomic alterations from a single blood draw and leverages state-of-the-art Ai to analyse circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) in a minimally invasive manner.
The new blood-based test offered by Synnovis can help fast-track cancer patients to receive targeted therapy up to two weeks earlier, while helping some avoid further tests and invasive treatments such as chemotherapy.
Following the successful pilot programme, Synnovis is already supporting approximately 400 patients per month with ctDNA liquid biopsy testing and is demonstrating the real-world impact of this advanced care. In one case, a patient with suspected advanced lung cancer was able to receive a ctDNA-informed personalised treatment plan within just two weeks. In another case, providers used SOPHiA DDM to identify new genetic variants for a patient who had been living with breast cancer for more than 15 years, unlocking additional treatment options and potential eligibility for clinical trials.
Synnovis and SOPHiA GENETICS anticipate that the application will be used to test approximately 7,000 breast and lung cancer patients annually, or roughly one third of all ctDNA tests in England, as the demand for liquid biopsy testing increases.
Persephone du Parcq MSc, Lead Translational Scientist, Synnovis, said: "Liquid biopsy testing simplifies how we generate genomic insights. A routine blood draw can reveal information from multiple tumour sites and speed up delivery of results to the patients. It also broadens access for patients who cannot tolerate invasive procedures or travel to specialist hospitals. As adoption increases, this approach will substantially expand the reach and impact of genomic testing services, and we anticipate economic savings for healthcare providers and better outcomes for greater numbers of patients."
Ross Muken, President of SOPHiA GENETICS, added: "Synnovis plays a vital role in delivering genomic testing services to patients across south-east England, and this partnership reflects what becomes possible when world-class pathology infrastructure meets scalable AI-driven analysis. With roughly one third of all ctDNA testing in England expected to run through this programme, we see this as a defining moment for liquid biopsy at scale within the NHS, and a model for how health systems in Europe can make precision oncology accessible."
Beyond accelerating targeted treatments, MSK-ACCESS powered with SOPHiA DDM provides Synnovis with the flexibility to incorporate additional indications as they are introduced into future NHS cancer screening programs. It also utilises a matched tumour-normal approach as well as technology from AccuGenomics to improve accuracy and avoid false positives.
Leading laboratories like Synnovis are helping bring NHS England's 'blood test-first' approach to scale through innovative solutions, contributing to a sustainable, data-driven approach to cancer care across the United Kingdom. By strengthening its genomic testing infrastructure, Synnovis joins a growing network of NHS institutions using SOPHiA GENETICS' technology to conduct local analysis, maintain alignment with NHS data-security standards, and support the operational model of distributed analysis hubs.
To learn more about how Synnovis deployed ctDNA testing for the patients it serves, view a webinar presented by one of the laboratory's lead scientists.