Shares in Oxford BioDynamics PLC (LON: OBD) (OTCMKTS: OXBOF) soared more than 118 per cent this week after Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) published data validating the company’s EpiSwitch blood based biomarkers as a tool for monitoring treatment response and tumour status in bladder cancer patients.
The results came from the large scale JAVELIN Bladder 100 Trial, involving 496 participants, and were published in the journal Cancers.
The trial findings mark a turning point for the clinical application of Oxford BioDynamics’ EpiSwitch platform, showing that the biomarkers reliably correlate with the immune profile of tumours. Immune system activity is often a key determinant of how well a patient responds to immunotherapy and other targeted treatments.
Traditional biopsies require tissue extraction and carry a higher risk of complications. However, EpiSwitch works with a simple blood sample. The platform offers a minimally invasive route to assessing immune response, making it possible to track disease progression and therapy effectiveness in real-time, without putting patients through additional surgical procedures.
The company has already been applying this tech in prostate cancer testing.
The potential for cross cancer expansion is growing rapidly with new evidence supporting its utility in bladder cancer. Oxford BioDynamics says these findings reinforce its role in the emerging field of precision medicine, where treatments are tailored to an individual’s molecular profile rather than a one size fits all approach. Chief scientific officer Dr Alexandre Akoulitchev called the study “a powerful endorsement of our platform.”
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Technology has more than one use
As the company rides the momentum, it’s also highlighting a long running partnership with Agilent Technologies (NYSE: A) that may help it scale even further.
On Thursday, the two companies also hosted a GenomeWeb sponsored webinar to showcase their collaborative work on a 3D genomics platform built to power Oxford BioDynamics’ EpiSwitch Array technology.
At the heart of the presentation was the EpiSwitch Explorer Array Kit, developed on Agilent’s SureScan microarray system. The kit enables researchers to interrogate nearly one million chromosome conformations throughout the genome. This feat opens new possibilities for identifying disease specific biomarkers and better understanding how genome architecture relates to pathology.
Dr Akoulitchev presented use cases for the platform, including the company’s EpiSwitch PSE test for prostate cancer and EpiSwitch SCB, a canine early detection test for multiple cancers. Both are examples of how the technology can be applied in clinical and veterinary settings alike.
Thomas Guiel, chief operating officer of Oxford BioDynamics, described the partnership with Agilent as a “strategic collaboration.” One that has furthermore been instrumental in advancing the EpiSwitch platform across multiple species and disease types.
“The collaboration supports high resolution, rapid, and reproducible detection of disease specific 3D genomic biomarkers from blood samples,” said Guiel.
He added that companies have spent years fine tuning their configurations to handle a range of biological and diagnostic use cases.
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Cancer remains leading cause of death globally
The backdrop to all this innovation is a global cancer burden that continues to grow. According to the World Health Organization, one in five people worldwide will develop cancer in their lifetime. Cancer also remains a leading cause of death globally. As the population ages and healthcare pivots toward preventative models, there’s a growing demand for earlier, less invasive diagnostic tools.
That’s opened the door for a new generation of biotech startups working to disrupt the traditional cancer detection model.
Among them is Breath Diagnostics Inc., a U.S. based company using exhaled breath to detect early signs of lung cancer. The company’s breath based detection system analyzes volatile organic compounds (VOCs) linked to malignancies. Furthermore, it offers offering a non invasive, fast, and scalable alternative to CT scans or tissue samples.
Breath Diagnostics is currently raising capital through a Regulation CF crowdfunding campaign. This offers retail investors a rare chance to participate in early stage cancer diagnostics. Regulation CF allows companies to raise up to USD$5 million from both accredited and non accredited investors. It’s a regulatory structure that suits companies working on long timelines with significant public impact.
These companies are positioning themselves within a cancer detection market expected to top USD$200 billion globally by 2032. For investors tuned into the shift toward early, non invasive screening, the company’s crowdfunding initiative offers a relatively low barrier path to backing the next wave of biotech innovation before it reaches the mainstream.
Visit https://invest.equifund.com/offering/breathdiagnostics/details to learn more.
joseph@mugglehead.com
