Public Funding for Tailor Bio Ltd

**Public description:** Genetic tests are used to guide the treatment of many cancers, but each type of cancer requires a different test. The NHS is currently combining many genetic tests into a single test covering 500 genes. This is a major step forward and offers the opportunity to extend the testing to new drug response predictions and provide more treatment options for patients. However, not all cancers will immediately benefit from a test covering 500 genes. In ovarian cancer there are currently only 2 genes which are used to help select 1 type of drug treatment - olaparib. Using novel techniques, Tailor Bio has developed a new test that identifies patients who will not respond to doxorubicin, another drug commonly used to treat ovarian cancer. After identifying these patients, clinicians can then give other types of drugs which might have greater benefit. In this project we will combine Tailor Bio's novel test with the large 500-gene tests currently being used by the NHS. As part of this project we will * Adapt software to combine the tests * Plan a clinical trial of the combined test * Investigate the cost effectiveness of the combined test Success in this project will allow better treatment selection for approximately 4000 people in the UK annually.

Pinpoint Oncology is developing new genetic tests on DNA from tumours to take the guesswork out of treating the deadliest cancers. We use machine learning to find patterns in tumour DNA which can be used to predict a person's response to cancer drugs. Our current test uses a biopsy of a patient's tumour to predict if they will respond to a drug used to treat ovarian cancer. In this project we want to see if we can use the same test on a patient's blood sample, rather than a tissue sample. If successful, this will be less invasive for the patient, safer, more convenient, and will reduce the cost of the test.