Trovagene, Inc. (NASDAQ: TROV) and RainDance Technologies announced today that Trovagene has adopted RainDance's RainDropTM Digital PCR System for research and development, and for eventual use in the Trovagene CLIA laboratory. Trovagene has also announced successful development of a cell-free DNA mutation assay leveraging the RainDrop platform.
"Trovagene's DNA isolation and assay development is at the forefront of non-invasive, cell-free cancer mutation detection and monitoring," said Roopom Banerjee, president and CEO of RainDance. "Utilizing our RainDrop Digital PCR System, they have addressed a critical need by enabling the use of a non-invasive, systemic specimen. This technology platform allows better assessment of tumor dynamics within an individual sample."
The automated RainDrop System allows for a hundred-fold increase in the amount of DNA that can be analyzed for cancer mutation detection, increasing sensitivity and the ability to find rare mutations. It can analyze up to 10 million pico-liter sized droplets in a single assay, vastly improving the probability that low-level mutations will be detected. RainDance's digital PCR approach also enables quantification of the relative amounts of mutated DNA in a sample.
Understanding the genomic changes that define a patient's tumor can lead to clinically actionable information before, during and after therapy. The ability to non-invasively detect and monitor oncogenic mutations and genomic variations, as well as markers for resistance, may improve the overall management of cancer and lead to improved outcomes.
"Trovagene's goal is to help improve detection and monitoring of cancer patients undergoing treatment, particularly those with metastatic cancers," stated Mark Erlander, chief scientific officer of Trovagene. "Analyzing the large amounts of DNA present in urine requires a platform capable of handling hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of reactions. The RainDrop System is ideally suited for this task and enables Trovagene technology to be even more sensitive."
Trovagene evaluated several platforms before purchasing RainDance's RainDrop Digital PCR System. "The high level of sensitivity and workflow improvements made it a clear, cost-effective choice for detecting and quantifying singular oncogene mutations from cell-free DNA," said Erlander.
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