In a bid to help cancer patients get accurate diagnosis and enable oncologists to select the best treatment option with least side effects, Positive Bioscience has launched its next generation product, PositiveSelect, an RNA sequencing test for cancer treatment.  

Positive Bioscience, a Mumbai based leading personal genomics research testing company, is the first company in the country to launch world's latest technology, RNA sequencing test commercially for cancer. PositiveSelect, which costs per patient around Rs.49,500, detects genomic alterations in 25,000 genes as compared to 4-5 genes through conventional testing.

PositiveSelect will be available in all leading hospitals of the country on a prescription of oncologists from March 1, 2016.

It is a comprehensive genomic solution for solid tumours (lung cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, sarcoma etc) as well as haematological cancers (leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma) designed to provide oncologists with clinically actionable report which can identify the molecular alterations in a patient's tumour and match those alterations with relevant targeted therapies and clinical trials. It recommends evidence based potential treatment options with best probability of response.

The test employs RNA sequencing to detect all classes of genomic alterations, including base pair substitutions, insertions and deletions, copy number alterations and rearrangements, and gene fusions.
 
PositiveSelect test results are provided in an easy-to-interpret report supported by a comprehensive review of published literature. Report provides treatment options with best probability of working in a particular patient based on cancer driving pathways and information on on-going clinical trials. Report also come with expression data of around 25,000 genes and thus is the most advanced test available in the world.

Cancer burden is high in India, emphasis has to be early testing. Every year 0.7 million die of cancer in the country. Around 80 per cent patients in India are diagnosed with cancer in late stage. RNA sequencing is 99 per cent accurate in detecting genetic mutation, expression, rearrangement, Indels detection in lung cancer as against Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) test which is 70 per cent accurate. In India 75,000 new lung cancer cases are detected every year. Normally, a lung cancer patient is referred for genetic testing comprising three genes-- AKTi, ALK, BRAF. If HER2 is also added to the genetic testing, it adds around 3000 patients. In other words, the larger the type of genes referred for testing, maximum the patients would get accurate diagnosis. Taking this into account, Positive Bioscience has come up with RNA sequencing test covering 25000 genes.

“By launching PositiveSelect, the company is again demonstrating its commitment to innovation and making cutting edge molecular information available to oncology community in India and worldwide,” said Samarth Jain, chief executive officer, Positive Bioscience.

He said, “Cancer is driven by genomic alterations. PositiveSelect detects genomic alterations in all 25,000 genes and recommends treatment options with best probability of response as compared to recommendations based on testing of 4-5 genes through conventional testing. We expect that PositiveSelect will revolutionise molecular diagnostics in a way CT scan revolutionised imaging diagnostics when X Ray was a norm.”

Talking about creating awareness on RNA sequencing test for cancer treatment in the country, Jain said “In India, 1 out of 12,000 patients go for genomic test to guide cancer treatment as compared to 1 out of 10 patients in USA. We have undertaken massive awareness drive to educate oncologists about RNA sequencing test, PositiveSelect to benefit patients. Next week, we have held an awareness camp for 200 oncologists in Pune to inform them about benefits of PositiveSelect.”

"In this era of precision oncology, RNA sequencing is a recent advancement in diagnostic technology, offering the most comprehensive genetic information on various alterations and the level of expression on thousands of genes in a single step. The information can be used to select the best treatment option with least side effects," said Dr Amit Verma, consultant - molecular oncology & cancer genetics, Max Super Speciality Hospitals Saket, New Delhi.

At present, RNA sequencing test is being conducted on cancer patients at
MD Anderson Cancer Center, John Hopkins Hospital, Stanford Hospital,
Mayo Clinics in USA.

“RNA sequencing is fast replacing conventional molecular diagnostics globally and most of the leading cancer hospitals and academic institutes in USA have started using RNA sequencing in clinical practice. It is a major step up as it removes conventional trial and error treatment approach leading to better outcomes and huge savings in treatment cost. Our experiences have showed that RNA sequencing in cancer can reduce treatment costs by 35 per cent,” added Dr Santosh Mishra, director of Bioinformatics, VGTI, Florida, USA and scientific advisor, Positive Bioscience.