Original from: genomeweb

Personalis said this week that it has extended its strategic collaboration with Tempus AI to include colorectal cancer (CRC) among the indications covered by their existing, exclusive commercialization agreement.

The updated agreement extends the term of the initial collaboration, launched in 2023, to November 2029 and lengthens the period of Tempus' exclusivity as Personalis' commercial partner for all four indications –– breast, lung, and now colorectal cancers, as well as solid tumor immunotherapy monitoring –– through 2028. The companies will work jointly to bring Personalis' NeXT Personal MRD assay to market. 

Tempus had previously agreed to integrate the whole-genome liquid biopsy assay into its testing menu and market it to oncologists.

Earlier this year, Personalis presented data demonstrating its value in detecting ultralow concentrations of circulating tumor DNA in patients with CRC. In addition to the other indications, the NeXT Personal MRD assay has also been tested in cervical cancer, where it showed a high negative predictive value.

"The clinical performance we're seeing across cancer types demonstrates that ultrasensitive detection fundamentally changes how we can monitor cancer patients," Personalis CEO Chris Hall said in a statement. "With Tempus' reach to over 50 percent of US oncologists, we're accelerating access to technology that gives both physicians and patients the information they need when it matters most."

Source: Personalis, Tempus Expand MRD Partnership to Include Colorectal Cancer, Extend Exclusivity Deal