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GUIDE.MRD · Project

Standardizing Blood Tests to Detect Remaining Cancer Cells for Personalized Treatment

healthTestedTRL 5

Imagine trying to find a few needles in a haystack after a cleanup; that is like finding tiny bits of cancer DNA in the blood after surgery. This work creates a gold standard to check which blood tests actually work to find these hidden cells. By knowing exactly who still has cancer, doctors can give the right medicine to the right people without guessing.

By the numbers
17,660,955
EU Contribution in EUR
33
Total Partners
18
Industry Partners
The business problem

What needed solving

Current cancer post-operative care relies on suboptimal risk-features, leading to patients being overtreated or undertreated. There is a lack of standardized, validated blood tests to detect minimal residual disease.

The solution

What was built

A reference standard for ctDNA diagnostics and a technical benchmarking process for existing test providers.

Audience

Who needs this

Liquid biopsy diagnostic companiesOncology pharmaceutical firmsCancer treatment centersHealth insurance payers
Business applications

Who can put this to work

Diagnostics
SME
Target: Liquid Biopsy Test Developers

If you are a test developer dealing with a lack of industry standards — this project developed a reference standard that benchmarks your ctDNA tests against others. This allows you to prove your test's clinical validity using data from lung, colon, and pancreatic cancer patients.

Pharmaceuticals
enterprise
Target: Oncology Drug Manufacturers

If you are a pharma company dealing with inefficient patient selection for adjuvant therapies — this project developed guidelines to use ctDNA as a marker. This helps you identify the specific patient group that needs your multi-modal treatment combinations.

Healthcare Providers
mid-size
Target: Private Oncology Clinics

If you are a clinic dealing with overtreating or undertreating cancer patients — this project developed a roadmap for integrating ctDNA testing into routine care. This ensures your treatment plans are based on objective data rather than suboptimal risk-features.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What is the cost or pricing for these tests?

Based on available project data, specific pricing for the tests is not mentioned; the project focuses on developing recommendations and guidelines for clinical routine.

Can these diagnostics be scaled to industrial levels?

The project involves 18 industry partners and aims to create a roadmap for routine cancer patient care, suggesting a strong focus on industrial scalability.

How is the IP or licensing handled for the reference standards?

Based on available project data, the specific licensing terms are not disclosed, but the consortium includes 33 partners working toward a consensus for clinical implementation.

What regulatory hurdles are being addressed?

The consortium is actively engaging with regulatory authorities and payers to develop guidelines that allow ctDNA testing to be accepted in clinical routine.

What is the timeline for clinical adoption?

The project runs from 2023-05-01 to 2028-04-30, indicating that the roadmap and guidelines will be finalized by early 2028.

Consortium

Who built it

The consortium is heavily weighted toward commercial application, with an industry ratio of 55% (18 out of 33 partners). The inclusion of 4 SMEs and partners from 13 countries, including the US and UK, indicates a global market strategy. The mix of 5 universities and 5 research institutes ensures scientific rigor, while the high number of industry players suggests the primary goal is market integration.

How to reach the team

Contact Universitaetsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Contact us to connect with the GUIDE.MRD consortium for benchmarking opportunities.

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