ArcherDX, Inc., has announced that Molecular Pathology Laboratory Network, Inc. (MPLN) is now a Certified Service Provider of Archer FusionPlex NGS assays. MPLN will offer a custom sarcoma analysis service that includes the FusionPlex Sarcoma NGS assay as part of their services to customers in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.

MPLN offers molecular anatomic pathology testing for hematologic cancers and solid tumors along with genetic and women’s health testing to oncologists, pathologists, hospitals and reference laboratories. MPLN’s clinical trials division Genuity CRS also services pharmaceutical and medical device companies along with contract research organizations (CROs) across the United States and Europe. MPLN is CLIA-certified, CAP accredited and licensed by New York State. MPLN was the seventh lab in the USA to become ISO-15189 accredited, a quality management system metric that provides the company the global infrastructure to perform analyses worldwide.

Roger Hubbard, Ph.D., the founder, president and CEO of MPLN, explained the rationale for using Archer assays. “ArcherDX is nimble and responsive to what the industry needs, and they develop target panels with relevant markers. Their panels use Anchored Multiplex PCR enrichment chemistry, so we not only get a robust sarcoma fusion panel, but we can also find novel markers that cannot be detected by other targeted enrichment chemistries.”

Dr. Hubbard also expanded on Archer’s custom services. “The FusionPlex Sarcoma panel already includes an exhaustive list of sarcoma targets, but Archer has a very responsive and user-friendly custom team. So we can use the sarcoma panel as a baseline and then easily customize it based on recommendations we receive from leaders in the field. This level of customization is something that other NGS companies just don’t offer.”

Todd Pollard, vice president of global sales and support at ArcherDX, emphasized the importance of international testing labs in supporting clinical trials services. “Cancer rates varying across different ethnic groups, and using precision genomics to enroll patients into geography-specific clinical trials that investigate targeted therapies is critical to understanding how to treat the disease. MPLN has the infrastructure and international accreditation to offer NGS assays to support clinical trials on a global scale.”