After launching its first liquid biopsy service in Europe earlier this year, the cancer test developer Guardant Health is taking new steps to offer its comprehensive genomic profiling technology in China.
Through a partnership with the Hangzhou-based clinical lab company Adicon Holdings Limited, Guardant will aim to offer its blood and tissue analysis portfolio to biopharma companies conducting studies within the country.
"Increasing incidence rates have made cancer a high priority in China and have led to a rising number of clinical trials in the region," said Lawrence Wang, chief financial officer of Adicon, which maintains a CAP-accredited laboratory in Shanghai. More than 4.5 million people in China were diagnosed with cancer in 2020, according to Guardant, driven primarily by lung, colorectal and stomach tumors.
The collaboration covers the Guardant360 and GuardantOMNI blood tests, as well as the Guardant360 TissueNext biopsy test designed for solid tumors, designed to analyze the genomic profile of individual cancers and match patients up with the proper therapy or enrollment into a study.
It also includes Guardant Reveal, a blood test for detecting residual disease and monitoring treated patients for recurrences of their cancer, which the companies said will be offered to drugmakers working in the early stages of development.
The move follows the regulatory approval of the Guardant360 CDx test in Japan this past March. That approval included a green light as a blood-based companion diagnostic to identify patients with microsatellite instability-high cancers, including those with solid tumors that may benefit from Merck’s Keytruda, as well as people with advanced colorectal cancer who may benefit from Bristol Myers Squibb’s Opdivo.
And just last month, Guardant gained full control over the operations of its subsidiary governing its business in Asia, the Middle East and Africa—by buying out the remaining shares held by SoftBank and its affiliates for about $177.8 million.
Known as Guardant Health AMEA, the division has supported work in 41 countries across the three regions since its founding in 2018, when it launched as a joint venture between Guardant and the SoftBank Vision Fund.
“By acquiring the remaining shares of Guardant Health AMEA, we can focus on creating a unified and centralized global organization that delivers on our promise to help conquer cancer and improve patient outcomes,” Guardant CEO Helmy Eltoukhy said in a statement at the time. “We believe our blood-based tests can play a significant role in helping address the growing incidence of cancer in the region, and we look forward to continuing to support patients facing cancer diagnoses as we expand our operations in these markets.”
Meanwhile, in May, the company launched a liquid biopsy testing service in Barcelona, through a partnership with the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology. The program will provide comprehensive genomic profiling from a single blood draw for patients in Spain with any solid cancerous tumor, including those participating in research studies and those undergoing clinical care.