Precision oncology company Strata Oncology forged a partnership on Wednesday to improve cancer care at the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center.
The Ann Arbor, Michigan-based company announced that discrete genomic data from its next generation sequencing (NGS) tumor profiling test will be integrated into UW Health’s Epic genomics module.
With the Rise of AI, What IP Disputes in Healthcare Are Likely to Emerge?
Munck Wilson Mandala Partner Greg Howison shared his perspective on some of the legal ramifications around AI, IP, connected devices and the data they generate, in response to emailed questions.
Under the partnership, Strata will receive electronic NGS test orders from UW Health’s Epic EHR and transmit results directly back into the patient’s chart. This initiative was designed to simplify the ordering process for the UW Health’s clinicians by pulling patient demographics and related information from the EHR to automatically populate the order.
Strata’s test simultaneously sequences DNA and RNA to produce quantitative gene expression results for nine biomarkers. The results of this test give physicians comprehensive insights that they can use to guide the treatment of their patients’ cancer. Each patient receives a customized report, which provides their physician with targeted treatment recommendations. It can also match patients with locally available pharmaceutical trials.
Strata’s 437-gene NGS test differentiates itself from other NGS tests by its industry-low tumor sample size requirements, according to Justin Brown, the company’s senior vice president of clinical partnerships. About half of patients with advanced cancer may have insufficient tissue for leading conventional genomic profiling (CGP) tests, but Strata’s NGS test requires 10 times less tissue than these tests, he said. This allows Strata to offer genomic tumor profiling to patients to whom it was previously unavailable.
For context, a Strata study published last year in JCO Precision Oncology found that just 41% of tumor tissue samples received for conventional genomic profiling met the requirements of several leading tests. On the other hand, the research found that Strata’s NGS test was able to provide informative results for more than 94% of patients who submitted tumor samples.
A Personalized Approach to Medication Nonadherence
At the Abarca Forward conference earlier this year, George Van Antwerp, managing director at Deloitte, discussed how social determinants of health and a personalized member experience can improve medication adherence and health outcomes.
The partnership between UW Health and Strata is based on the latter’s long-standing relationship with the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, Brown said. The center was one of the sites that took part in the clinical study that validated the company’s NGS test, and Strata announced in May that it has joined as a partner in its Precision Indications for Approved Therapies (PATH) trial. The PATH trial is an ongoing trial exploring the efficacy of multiple cancer drugs in new Strata-defined biomarker indications.
“In such a data-driven age, many health systems are looking for ways to make their data more readily available to physicians to guide treatment decisions,” Brown said. “We anticipate similar integrations with other partners in the future.”
The partnership will help UW Health further its research and understanding of cancer by allowing oncologists to more efficiently leverage genomic findings into their treatment plans, Brown pointed out. Cancer care is heading in a direction that relies more and more heavily on dynamic and easily-accessible information, he added.
“The status quo of genomic reporting is years behind where it needs to be — many oncologists receive genomic reports as physical pieces of paper or scanned documents,” Brown said. “Integrating genomic findings directly into UW Health’s EHR can make that information available more quickly and in a searchable, user-friendly format. The end result is stronger organization and more informed decisions faster.”
To Brown, this integration reflects the future of precision oncology, which seeks to use genomic data to provide each patient with personalized, optimal treatment.
Other providers are taking note of this evolution. New Orleans-based Ochsner Health added a tool to its Epic EHR last month that allows physicians to seamlessly order Tempus’ NGS tests, and Missouri-based MU Health Care incorporated a genomic testing ordering tool into its Oracle Cerner EHR in June.
Photo: iLexx, Getty Images
