Fluxion Biosciences Introduces IsoFlux™ NGS Assay Kits for Circulating Biomarker Detection

Fluxion Biosciences announced the introduction of a new series of assay kits design to enhance and complete the workflow for next-generation sequencing (NGS) using the IsoFlux System. The IsoFlux™ NGS assay kits are designed to work with circulating tumor material enriched on the IsoFlux System. They significantly increase the overall target purity of the sample and provide a robust nucleic acid extraction method that is optimized for next-generation sequencing. The IsoFlux NGS assay kits are available for immediate use through the IsoFlux Discovery Services program, with kit shipments to IsoFlux customers starting in June 2014.

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) enable access to tumor material without the need for a surgical biopsy. CTCs possess the key advantage of being able to be enriched over the background blood cells, making it possible to analyze them using molecular methods. Other approaches to obtaining tumor material from the circulation, such as cell-free DNA, have limitations in this regard. Despite recent advances in CTC technologies, it remains a persistent challenge to enrich sufficiently to meet the rigorous requirements of next-generation sequencing platforms. The IsoFlux NGS assay kits incorporate a proprietary method of purity enhancement that, when combined with the IsoFlux System for primary enrichment, delivers a high purity DNA or RNA sample immediately ready for next-generation sequencing.

Next-generation sequencing plays an essential role in the emerging field of precision medicine. Clinical scientists have utilized NGS to learn how and why patients may respond or fail to particular therapies. They can employ NGS to learn how to best predict which therapies a patient might respond to over time. Timely access to tumor material has been the primary limitation to this approach. Serial tissue biopsy is not generally practiced due to the high risks, high costs, and limited success rates. The IsoFlux NGS kits provide a valuable tool to clinical scientists and drug developers to track the course of disease for an individual patient and as part of broader research studies. The IsoFlux NGS kits have been developed and validated with leading commercial NGS platforms and cancer mutation panels ranging from 5 to 500 genes of interest to cancer.

“The IsoFlux NGS assay kits deliver on the promise of where precision medicine is heading,” said Jeff Jensen, CEO at Fluxion. “The ability to analyze a broad range of cancer biomarkers in a single blood-based test provides critical information that will help inform the next generation of targeted therapies and diagnostics.”