Ludwig spin-off Base Genomics, launched in June 2020 with a license granted by Ludwig Cancer Research to commercialize a technology, TET-assisted pyridine borane sequencing (TAPS), was acquired by Exact Sciences for $410 million. The technology, developed in Chunxiao Song’s laboratory at Ludwig Oxford, is designed to detect early-stage cancer in blood tests through the highly sensitive detection of epigenetic modifications made to trace amounts of circulating tumor DNA. Liquid biopsies of the sort Base Genomics hopes to develop would permit continuous monitoring of treatment responses in patients undergoing cancer therapy and, eventually, perhaps even routine screening of people for the early detection of cancer.
This article appeared in the December 2020 issue of Ludwig Link. Click here to download a PDF (1 MB).