Cofactor Genomics announced breakthrough validation results for its OncoPrism® RNA-based diagnostic platform at the RNA Society's 30th Annual Meeting, demonstrating a 300-400% improvement in predicting patient responses to cancer immunotherapies compared to existing clinical tests. The presentation, delivered by Dr. Kevin Flanagan, Cofactor's VP of Translational Science, highlighted the platform's potential to transform precision medicine in cancer immunotherapy.
Superior Performance in Lung Cancer Testing
For the first time, Cofactor presented validation results for OncoPrism-NSCLC targeting non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which represents the single largest patient population eligible for immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) immunotherapy. The validation study, conducted with patients enrolled across 12 clinical sites, showed that OncoPrism outperformed PD-L1 testing with higher sensitivity and specificity in NSCLC patients.
The platform's approach leverages artificial intelligence and RNA expression data from patient tumors to decode complex RNA expression patterns and measure the immune status of the tumor microenvironment. This methodology delivers predictive accuracy that surpasses single-gene tests through Cofactor's proprietary Health Expression Models – multidimensional RNA models built with machine learning.
Clinical Availability and Reimbursement
Cofactor's diagnostic solutions have already proven their clinical value and are commercially available. Both OncoPrism-HNSCC and OncoPrism-NSCLC are accessible for clinical use from Cofactor's CAP-accredited, CLIA-certified laboratory. Notably, OncoPrism-HNSCC has secured Medicare reimbursement approval, facilitating broader patient access to the technology.
"OncoPrism is bridging the precision medicine gap by providing clinicians with reliable insights that far surpass the predictive power of conventional biomarkers," said Dr. Flanagan. "Leveraging RNA's rich information, we can identify immunotherapy responders with unprecedented accuracy."
Platform Technology and Clinical Impact
The robustness of Cofactor's platform stems from its unique approach to RNA analysis. The Health Expression Models ensure robust, reproducible results across different patient populations and tumor types by transforming billions of biological RNA data points into high-dimensional RNA models of biology, disease, and therapy response.
Cofactor's presentation included recent clinical cases where OncoPrism is already changing clinical treatment decisions and improving patient outcomes. The company's leadership in RNA diagnostics exemplifies how decades of RNA research are being translated into tangible clinical benefits, particularly in improving the selection of therapies like checkpoint inhibitors.
The validation results underscore the growing importance of RNA in precision medicine and highlight how RNA innovations are driving a new era of personalized cancer immunotherapy. Cofactor is supported and partnered with 38 healthcare systems, representing 20% of US healthcare, demonstrating the platform's widespread adoption potential in clinical practice.
