Tagomics secures £860k grant for colorectal cancer test

Biotech firm to collaborate with NHS on early detection study

Tagomics has been awarded £860k in funding from Innovate UK’s Biomedical Catalyst programme to develop a novel diagnostic test for colorectal cancer. The grant forms part of a £1.2M project, with additional funding contributed by Tagomics, to customise its Interlace platform for early disease detection.

The Cambridge-based biomarker discovery and diagnostics company aims to refine its multiomic profiling technology to identify genetic and epigenetic markers associated with colorectal cancer. The approach leverages epigenetic profiling to enrich unmethylated DNA without modifying the underlying sequence, improving sensitivity and specificity in detection.

The funding will support the development of a diagnostic test designed for early colorectal cancer identification and treatment. A pilot study, led by Dr Arash Assadsangabi, Consultant physician and Gastroenterologist at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, will profile 250 patients suspected of having colorectal cancer. The study will be conducted in collaboration with the Northern Care Alliance Research Collection biobank.

Dr Robert Neely, CSO and co-founder of Tagomics said: “We are delighted to have been awarded the Biomedical Catalyst grant as part of the Innovate UK programme, recognising the potential of our multiomic workflow in novel diagnostic and therapeutic technologies.”

Following successful completion of the project, Tagomics plans to expand its platform’s capabilities in partnership with Agilent Technologies. The firms previously collaborated on the early development of the Interlace platform, integrating Tagomics’ epigenetics expertise with Agilent’s SureSelect target enrichment technology.

Dr Rita Shaknovich, Chief Medical Officer at Agilent Technologies said: “The Biomedical Catalyst grant is a fantastic achievement for Tagomics, reflecting the enormous potential for its novel multiomics workflow in the early detection of cancers.”

Tagomics’ advancements in multiomic profiling could offer a significant breakthrough in early-stage cancer detection, potentially improving patient outcomes.