From WisPolitics.com/WisBusiness.com …
— Exact Sciences today released new data showing its Oncoguard liver cancer blood test is better at detecting the disease than the current standard ultrasound approach.
The Madison-based diagnostics company is touting findings from the ALTUS study, focused on the Oncoguard Liver test’s ability to detect hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common form of liver cancer. The study is the largest prospective real-world trial of this kind of blood test in the country, with more than 3,000 participants enrolled, according to the company.
Based on a framework called the Milan criteria — used to reference eligibility for a curative liver transplant — Exact Sciences’ test detected three times more early-stage cancers compared to an ultrasound.
The study found the test’s “very early-stage” sensitivity for liver cancer was 64%, compared to 9% for ultrasound. And its early-stage sensitivity was 77%, versus 36% for ultrasound. The test’s ability to detect the absence of live cancer was also good enough for clinical application, the release notes.
Dr. Binu John, principal investigator for the ALTUS trial and an associate professor at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, notes ultrasound surveillance has been the standard for detecting liver cancer for decades. But this approach delivers poor image quality and “inconsistent” follow-up care, John notes, translating to lower rates of detecting cancer.
“A highly sensitive blood-based alternative like Oncoguard Liver is a game changer that could make liver cancer screening more accessible, equitable, and effective for millions of at-risk patients,” John said in a statement.
The data will be presented next week at a meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. Exact Sciences also plans to publish the results in a peer-reviewed journal.
See the release below.
— Elephas Biosciences Corporation has raised $40 million as it develops its immunotherapy response device, the Madison-based biotech firm announced.
The funding will be used to commercialize the company’s Elephas Live Platform, with plans to launch it as a lab-developed test next year. By profiling live tumor biopsies, it can help predict immunotherapy response for a given patient, according to the release.
Maneesh Arora, founder and CEO for Elephas, says the Series B round closing “underscores the strong investor confidence” in what the business is hoping to accomplish.
“We have made incredible progress this year and have strong momentum heading into 2026,” Arora said yesterday in a statement. “This funding achievement will drive our next stage of growth and advance our commercialization strategy.”
The round included the State of Wisconsin Investment Board and Venture Investors Health Fund in Madison.
See the release below.
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