Mendelspod Podcast Chris Hall and Rich Chen of Personalis on Next Gen MRD Testing
Personalis, a company launched during the early days of whole genome testing and analysis, is claiming to have the most sensitive MRD testing available to date. They are demonstrating this with the results of their recently released TRACERx study of patients with non-small cell lung cancer. CEO Chris Hall and CMO Rich Chen both join us to profile these exciting results and debut the entrance of Personalis into MRD testing. “This test is 10 to 100 times more sensitive than other tests,” says Rich Chen. “And so how do we do this? We’re creating a personalized test for each and every cancer patient.”First making their name in whole genome analysis, Personalis is not only looking at the ctDNA but also sequencing the tumor for each test. The test is available now. While the technology is validated for all cancers, Rich and John say they are going after the hardest-to-detect cancers first. What is their goal for the next two years, and how will the company push up the low rate of adoption in the field? Join us for a comprehensive interview into the next generation of MRD testing.