mDETECT: Enabling Effective Cancer Treatment through Speedy Monitoring
mDETECT, a research spin-out from Queen’s University, has leveraged Next Generation DNA Sequencing or NGS to build a cutting-edge liquid biopsy solution that promises to improve cancer treatments through precision medicine. Instead of requiring a tumour biopsy, mDETECT uses NGS, a special process combining DNA analysis with computing power to sequence thousands to millions of DNA molecules simultaneously from a patient's blood sample. This means no invasive surgery or long wait times for imagery services. With less than one tube of blood, patients can receive speedy results on the progression of their cancer and the effectiveness of their treatments.
Allowing Precision Treatment to Cater to Each Patient’s Needs
When dealing with cancer there is no “one treatment fits all” method, in fact most patients must endure multiple different treatments before seeing progress. This makes it crucial for doctors to understand as soon as possible if a treatment is effective so the patient can move on to a new one if necessary. To put it in perspective, the average triple negative breast cancer patient will change treatments four times while battling their diagnosis, with each failed treatment costing the patient precious time to curb the spread and severity of their cancer.
As the number of treatments in the market grows, so has the ability to provide custom care to patients. The problem: current monitoring of treatment effectiveness does not allow for quick pivots. For example, CT scans to check on patient progress are typically done three or more months after the start of a new treatment, and this wait time does not consider regional differences, like in rural areas, where access to the right experts and equipment may not be available.
mDETECT comes in the form of a low-cost, easy-to-use test kit that provides doctors with speedy results on the effectiveness of cancer treatments. The product analyzes blood samples, allowing doctors to compare the patient's baseline metrics before treatment has begun to new blood samples throughout treatment, measuring the impact on the cancer’s progression in real-time. The blood samples are processed efficiently using advanced equipment and software to provide an automated result in mere hours, allowing physicians to make informed decisions and quickly pivot treatments as necessary.
The speed and low cost of mDETECT is a welcome solution for hospitals looking for reliable treatment testing that is easy to interpret and allows for quick turnaround times. Beyond the economic benefit of limiting ineffective treatments and drugs, fast monitoring enables patients to decrease unnecessary harmful side effects as they search for a treatment that works. While mDETECT was originally developed for measuring the effective treatment of breast cancer, it has since expanded to six more types of cancer, growing its potential impact for hospitals and patients alike.
From Research Lab to Commercialization
mDETECT started as a research project at Queen’s University. The team used methylation testing and next generation sequencing on blood to identify the cancer DNA compared to normal DNA and quantify it. The results were promising, allowing a more effective way to monitor treatments than the current method that measures mutations, which are cancer specific changes to DNA. The promise of this solution led to the creation of mDETECT or “Methylation DETection of Circulating Tumor DNA”.
Since the creation of mDETECT, there have been many milestones, with the potential for their products to be sold commercially in Canada, USA and Europe being next on the list. The product is still in its research phase, so hospitals can only use the solution from a clinical study perspective. The goal is to run several major clinical studies, validating mDETECT with hundreds of patients, ultimately making cancer treatment monitoring more affordable and enabling patients to get the most effective care.
According to President and CEO, Doctor Christopher Mueller, this year has big potential for the company, “mDETECT is hoping to have its first product, a test for lung cancer, in the market by the end of 2025, providing an important solution for patients being treated for a dire disease.”
The Importance of a Strong IP Strategy
The journey from the lab to the market meant facing several new challenges, including the search for funding, expansion of the team, and the development of an IP strategy that would safeguard the product. Along the way, the mDETECT team was able to lean on several organizations, including their post-secondary headquarters, Queen’s University, but also Eastern Ontario’s innovation hub Launch Lab. With Launch Lab, mDETECT utilized the Elevate IP program to support reviewing disclosures, drafting and filing US provisional patents, and office action replies.
Chris emphasized the importance of these supports for a new company, especially when it comes to IP development, “As a startup, we are heavily dependent on proving that our intellectual property is secure and appropriate so that we can have confidence in our competitive position moving forward and Launch Lab was a significant factor in ensuring that was the case.”
With their solution going global, mDETECT is staged for major growth in the next few years, enabling hospitals to better serve the patients that need it most. mDETECT exemplifies the power of Canadian innovation, representing collaboration between university research and the regional innovation ecosystem to develop homegrown IP that will shape industry standards.
For Chris, the goal is clear: "We hope to transform how cancer is treated by bringing the power of precision medicine to decisions being made every day in the clinic, which we hope will lead to better and longer lives for cancer patients here and around the world.”
Visit mDETECT’s website to learn more on how they are revolutionizing the management of metastatic cancers using advanced testing methods
