LAUSANNE, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Novigenix SA, a leading Immuno-Transcriptomics company that develops and commercializes solutions for early cancer detection and precision medicine, today announced that a consortium, including Maastricht University (The Netherlands), Biolizard and the KU Leuven (Belgium), in addition to Novigenix, has been awarded a grant up to €1 million to develop a blood based multi-omics colorectal cancer (CRC) test.

The aim of the consortium is to develop a blood based test based on transcriptomic and epigenetic biomarkers for early detection and relapse monitoring in CRC patients. The biomarker development strategy will leverage transcriptome profiling of whole blood and candidate tumor DNA methylation markers in cell free-DNA. Moreover, the consortium will develop an automated and structured data analysis process, including the most advanced machine learning methods, and validate multi-omics signatures.

The members of consortium balanced between industrial and academic partners. Novigenix’s will leverage its core competencies of the Immuno-Transcriptomics technology and Biolizard will focus on biological data integration, bioinformatics analysis, pipeline implementation and will provide artificial intelligence solutions. The group of Prof. dr. Manon van Engeland at Maastricht University brings unique expertise on CRC DNA methylation, whereas the Molecular Digestive Oncology group of Prof. dr. Sabine Tejpar at KU Leuven adds a clinical network for prospective collection of biological specimens and data interpretation.

“This Eurostars project combines excellent, world-leading science and technologies in a consortium dedicated to making significant advances in how colorectal cancer is detected and its treatment monitored,” said Dr. Jan Groen, CEO of Novigenix. “We believe the outcome of this project, a potential omics-based test, will be important for the diagnosis and disease management of CRC patients.”

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