Oxford BioDynamics (OBD) , a biotechnology company developing precision medicine tests, has partnered with Bupa, the UK's leading health insurer, to cover EpiSwitch CiRT for customers with cancer.
The collaboration aims to grant Bupa patients access to the innovative EpiSwitch CiRT, a blood test that uniquely predicts an individual cancer patient's response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).
ICIs provide a beacon of hope for durable disease control in certain patients, yet standard pre-screening tests like tumor PD-L1 expression only benefit less than 1 in 4 patients. This partnership will enhance patient care and prevent the unnecessary side effects of ineffective ICI treatments.
Under the agreement, Bupa health insurance customers being considered for immunotherapy with an anti-PD-1/L1 ICI will be offered the CiRT test, providing their physicians with personalised guidance for treatment planning. Moreover, the CiRT test will be accessible to doctors treating Bupa patients with ICIs, particularly when decisions are vital in the face of potential severe illness and unresponsiveness to treatment.
Dr Jon Burrows, Chief Executive Officer of Oxford BioDynamics, said: "Joining forces with a pioneering healthcare organization like Bupa will enhance access to the EpiSwitch CiRT test across the UK. Gaining reimbursement from the UK's leading health insurer is another milestone for the Company, as well as for Bupa customers and their doctors.”
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Increased access to OBD’s EpiSwitch CiRT test will help to reduce costs for healthcare systems, with clinicians able to make informed decisions when planning treatments, subsequently improving patient outcomes.
Importantly, EpiSwitch CiRT is a non-invasive blood test, which is a desirable alternative to other procedures that are heavily invasive, such as spinal fluid draws or tissue biopsies. Unlike other cancer therapy tests, CiRT uses 3D genomic profiling rather than genomic mutation analysis, as it predicts the likelihood of response based on an individual's genomic regulatory network.
OBD shares jumped 14.5% on the news.
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