Novigenix Announces Discovery of Liquid Biopsy Immunotherapy Response Biomarkers in Metastatic Melanoma

New LITOseek biomarkers presented at ESMO have identified upregulation of ribosomal biogenesis and TCR signaling with downregulation of interferon gene clusters in responsive patients

LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND / ACCESSWIRE / September 9, 2022 / Novigenix SA, a leading Swiss biotech that develops and commercializes Immuno-Transcriptomic precision oncology solutions today announced discovery of new Immuno-Transcriptomic signatures for prediction of response to immunotherapy and patient monitoring in metastatic melanoma (MM). The data are presented at the Immuno-Oncology Congress of the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) on September 10^th, 2022 in Paris.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have become one of the main treatments for patients with metastatic cancer. Although ICIs are highly effective with durable results in some patients, only a minority respond and benefit from the therapy. There is therefore a significant unmet medical need for accurate liquid biopsy precision solutions that can select and monitor patients during ICI therapy.

A study was conducted with 29 BRAF+ and high lactate hydrogenase MM patients, treated with anti-PD-1/CTLA-4 therapy (ipi+nivo). Whole blood Immuno-Transcriptome profiles were analyzed before and after 6 weeks of combination therapy on the LITOseek platform of Novigenix for discovery of response prediction biomarkers and monitoring of patients following treatment, with clinical benefit defined as Progression-Free Survival (PFS) ≥ 6 months. A panel of 119 genes were identified for prediction of clinical benefit from combination therapy with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.98. Functional analysis in responsive patients suggest upregulation of gene clusters involved in ribosomal biogenesis and TCR signaling, and downregulation of interferon gene clusters. A panel of 114 biomarkers identified for patient monitoring during ICI therapy further indicate upregulated gene clusters involved in cell cycle, and enrichment of immune tolerance regulating genes.

Dr. Niven Mehra, medical oncologist at Radboud University, The Netherlands said "Early blood-based response biomarkers show promise for reliable and convenient tests to determine whether ICIs are effective in metastatic Melanoma, as well as provide new insights into the changes that occur during treatment with Anti-PD1".

"This study highlights the value of whole-blood transcriptomics for generating insights into immune response to anti-PD-1 therapy" said Dr. Sahar Hosseinian, CTO of Novigenix. "These results along with our previous studies in bladder cancer patients demonstrate the power of LITOseek for discovery of clinically actionable biomarkers that support drug development, and may lead to liquid biopsy solutions that support oncologists in improving personalized ICI therapy for better patient outcomes".

About Novigenix
Novigenix is a precision medicine biotech providing a new understanding of the human host response to cancer and its response to therapy. The Company was founded on the vision that Immuno-Transcriptomics will bring unprecedented advances in diagnosing and treating cancer patients, leading to significant improvement in healthcare. Novigenix's unique Immuno-Transcriptomic platform enables an accelerated identification of disease specific mRNA signatures of immune cells, which combined with machine learning and predictive algorithms provide new insights into onset and progression of disease. For more information visit

About LITOseek
The Liquid Immuno-Transcriptomic Sequencing Platform of Novigenix, LITOseek, analyzes the gene expression modifications (mRNA signatures) induced by the host immune response to various triggers, such as onset of cancer. Disease specific algorithms are developed through application of Artificial Intelligence on patient mRNA signatures in combination with clinical and medical parameters. The LITOseek platform has been designed and optimized for development of liquid biopsy precision oncology solutions based on the human Immuno-Transcriptome, with continuous improvement of predictive and adaptive algorithms.

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SOURCE: Novigenix SA