Ten thousand patients with suspected lung cancer are set to benefit from new technology to speed up and personalise treatment.
A new 'liquid biopsy test' developed by The Royal Marsden and Guardant Health, Inc. (Nasdaq: GH) has already enabled over 2000 patients with suspected advanced lung cancer to have a ctDNA blood test before or at the same time that diagnostic biopsies are taken. NHS England are now rolling out the test to an additional 10,000 patients over the course of the next year, in a bid to speed up treatment decisions.
CtDNA tests, also known as liquid biopsies, are minimally invasive tests that can detect tiny amounts of ctDNA shed by the cancer into the blood. The test is able to identify key genetic mutations in a patient's cancer which can potentially enable them to receive targeted treatments rather than standard chemotherapy. Targeted treatments can significantly improve quality of life for patients, improving survival and reducing side effects. Analysis of data from Guardant Health's liquid biopsy testing also shows that time to diagnosis for patients with advanced lung cancer in the UK can be slashed by three weeks.
Based on Guardant Health's leading and innovative liquid biopsy technology, the Marsden360 service means that tests are analysed onsite in The Royal Marsden's state-of-the-art liquid biopsy testing facility, which is part of the North Thames Genomic Medicine Service. The Marsden360 testing facility has capacity to annually test 5,000 patients with solid tumour cancers from across England, with expansion to beyond 10,000 planned over the next two years.
Professor Sanjay Popat, a Consultant Medical Oncologist at The Royal Marsden and an internationally recognised expert in the treatment of lung cancer, said: 'CtDNA liquid biopsies have the potential to transform cancer care for patients, from earlier diagnosis to prognosis and better management of treatments. It is fantastic that through collaborating with NHS England we can look to bring cutting-edge genomic testing to patients in the NHS, resulting in many patients receiving targeted treatments rather than standard chemotherapy. Our Marsden360 service, established in partnership with Guardant Health, also allows us to significantly increase our capacity for research using ctDNA testing, improving treatment options for patients across the UK.'
Clinicians at The Royal Marsden have been using liquid biopsies in a clinical diagnostic setting for several years and the hospital has developed its own testing capabilities. However, bringing diagnostic testing for liquid biopsies onsite will enable the NHS to increase the volume of tests they are able to deliver. The Guardant Health partnership also ensures that researchers at The Royal Marsden have access to more powerful technology based upon vast data sets and advanced analytics. The Marsden360 is performed for stage 3 and 4 solid tumours and delivers complete results for more patients, faster than tissue testing.
Helmy Eltoukhy, Guardant Health chairman and co-CEO, said: 'Liquid biopsies aren't just the future of cancer care - they are already being used in the clinic to guide treatment decisions and match patients to potentially life-saving targeted therapies. The new national pilot in England offers the exciting opportunity for this new technology to be integrated into routine lung cancer care so that patients get the benefits of an earlier diagnosis and treatment. NHS England and The Royal Marsden have really grasped this opportunity and are leading the world in implementing liquid biopsies - starting with lung cancer - and we are honoured to partner with them in this endeavour.'
The Marsden360 liquid biopsy service is available for private and clinical trial patients being treated at The Royal Marsden, as well as patients with suspected late-stage lung cancer, who are eligible for testing on the NHS as part of the NHS England study in ctDNA testing in non-small cell lung cancer.
About The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
The Royal Marsden opened its doors in 1851 as the world's first hospital dedicated to cancer diagnosis, treatment, research and education.
Today, together with its academic partner, The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), it is the largest and most comprehensive cancer centre in Europe seeing and treating over 59,000 NHS and private patients every year. It is a centre of excellence with an international reputation for groundbreaking research and pioneering the very latest in cancer treatments and technologies.
The Royal Marsden, with the ICR, is the only National Institute for Health Care Research Biomedical Research Centre for Cancer. This supports pioneering research work carried out over a number of different cancer themes.
The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity raises money solely to support The Royal Marsden, a world-leading cancer centre. It ensures Royal Marsden nurses, doctors and research teams can provide the very best care and develop life-saving treatments, which are used across the UK and around the world.
From funding state-of-the-art equipment and ground-breaking research, to creating the very best patient environments, The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity will never stop looking for ways to improve the lives of people affected by cancer.
About Guardant Health
Guardant Health is a leading precision medicine company focused on guarding wellness and giving every person more time free from cancer. Founded in 2012, Guardant is transforming patient care by providing critical insights into what drives disease through its advanced blood and tissue tests, real-world data and AI analytics. Guardant tests help improve outcomes across all stages of care, including screening to find cancer early, monitoring for recurrence in early-stage cancer, and helping doctors select the best treatment for patients with advanced cancer.
Guardant Health Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws, including statements regarding the potential utilities, values, benefits and advantages of Guardant Health's liquid biopsy tests or assays, which involve risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results and expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions, and actual outcomes and results could differ materially from these statements due to a number of factors. These and additional risks and uncertainties that could affect Guardant Health's financial and operating results and cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release include those discussed under the captions 'Risk Factors' and 'Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation' and elsewhere in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, and any current and periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission thereafter. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Guardant Health as of the date hereof, and Guardant Health disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements provided to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Guardant Health's views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.
GUARDANT HEALTH, INC. 
