At last, lots of liquid biopsy data exists

After years of skepticism, liquid biopsy companies are creating a wave of actual, published data. 

Personal Genome Diagnostics, a Maryland-based company, is the latest to publish its own. The company has a new paper out in Clinical Cancer Research showing that its blood test can identify a key characteristic of tumors that’s normally only discernible with a biopsy. 

One of the two biomarkers the test tries to detect is “microsatellite instability,” or MSI-High — which is used to predict whether a person’s tumor could respond to immunotherapies like Keytruda. Guardant Health published its own data on a similar test last month; Grail presented its data on a blood test meant for screening healthy people in May.

Personal Genome, which has received funding from New Enterprise Associates and Bristol-Myers Squibb, has some familiar faces among its founding advisors. Three of the scientists behind Thrive Earlier Detection Corp, another venture-backed liquid biopsy company, also serve on PGDx’s board.