SOPHiA GENETICS and AstraZeneca Collaborate to Further Expand Global Access to Liquid Biopsy Testing

Rhea-AI Summary

SOPHiA GENETICS and AstraZeneca (AZN) agreed to deploy the liquid biopsy test MSK-ACCESS® powered with SOPHiA DDM™ to 20 institutions worldwide over the next 12 months, accelerating a rollout first announced in October 2023. The decentralized test isolates cfDNA from blood plasma to detect ctDNA as a less invasive complement to tissue biopsy. Since launch in April 2024, 14 institutions began pilots or adoption. The program includes a dedicated real-world evidence study to evaluate operational benefits, result speed, and data quality across multiple lab settings.

Positive

• Commitment to deploy to 20 institutions over next 12 months
• Earlier rollout: 14 institutions signed on since April 2024
• Includes a dedicated real-world evidence study to evaluate operational benefits

Negative

• No financial or commercial terms disclosed in the announcement

Insights

Clinical diagnostics commercialization strategist

Partnership accelerates decentralized liquid biopsy rollout to 20 institutions and will generate real-world evidence over 12 months.

The agreement between SOPHiA GENETICS and AstraZeneca commits to deploy the MSK-ACCESS® test powered with SOPHiA DDM™ to 20 institutions worldwide within the next 12 months, expanding availability beyond the initial 14 pilot sites launched since April 2024. This structure pairs a validated assay from a major cancer center with a cloud-native analytics platform and an industry partner to scale decentralized molecular testing; it reduces reliance on tissue biopsies by using cfDNA from blood plasma to detect ctDNA.

Primary dependencies and operational risks include successful site onboarding, consistent lab performance across diverse settings, and timely generation of the planned real-world evidence. The program explicitly targets evaluation of turnaround speed and reproducibility of high-quality data across laboratories; therefore, variability in local lab workflows or regulatory constraints could limit how broadly the findings generalize.

Concrete items to watch in the next 12 months include completion of deployments to the announced 20 sites, data on test turnaround times and quality metrics from the dedicated real-world evidence study, and any regulatory or reimbursement notices tied to routine use. These milestones will determine whether the rollout meaningfully supports broader global implementation and research use by Q4 2025.

The companies commit to bring cutting-edge liquid biopsy testing to 20 institutions globally over the next 12 months

BOSTON and ROLLE, Switzerland, Sept. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- SOPHiA GENETICS (Nasdaq: SOPH), a cloud-native healthcare technology company and a global leader in data-driven medicine, today announced a new milestone in the global introduction of the liquid biopsy test MSK-ACCESS® powered with SOPHiA DDM™, first announced in October 2023. Under a definitive partnership agreement with AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/Nasdaq: AZN), SOPHiA GENETICS will accelerate the deployment of MSK-ACCESS® powered with SOPHiA DDM™ to 20 locations worldwide over the next 12 months.  

Liquid biopsy testing offers a complementary alternative to solid tumor testing, which is not always feasible due to insufficient tissue, low quality tissue, or the invasiveness of the procedure. The testing works by isolating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from blood plasma to uncover circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). Isolating these DNA samples from a simple blood draw is less invasive than a traditional biopsy, helping to simplify patient monitoring and more quickly guide clinical decision-making.

MSK-ACCESS® powered with SOPHiA DDM™ is a decentralized version of the highly validated liquid biopsy test developed by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), a top cancer treatment and research institution. The solution combines the sophisticated analytics, state-of-the-art algorithms, and decentralized, cloud-based offerings of the SOPHiA DDM™ Platform, with the scientific and clinical expertise of MSK in cancer genomics to provide a best-in-class liquid biopsy solution.

By increasing availability of MSK-ACCESS® powered with SOPHiA DDM™, SOPHiA GENETICS and AstraZeneca aim to understand how liquid biopsy testing can complement solid tissue testing, and in some cases, provide greater benefit for labs and patients. This understanding will help support the case for broad global implementation. Additionally, through a dedicated real-world evidence study, researchers will be able to evaluate the operational benefits of liquid biopsy testing, including the speed of results and the ability of users to consistently achieve high-quality data in a variety of laboratory settings.

"Our collaboration with AstraZeneca has the potential to dramatically accelerate global access to liquid biopsy testing, especially in underserved populations, which in turn could contribute to reshaping diagnostics, treatment, and monitoring of cancer cases throughout the world. Their support is instrumental to making this improved access a reality," said Philippe Menu, M.D., Ph.D, Chief Medical and Chief Product Officer, SOPHiA GENETICS. "Additionally, the breadth and depth of real-world data that we will generate through the implementation of this decentralized liquid biopsy testing platform on a global scale will be unprecedented, providing novel avenues to accelerating cancer research."

Since launching MSK-ACCESS powered with SOPHiA DDM™ in April 2024, a first wave of 14 leading healthcare institutions worldwide have signed on to piloting and adopting the application. These institutions include renowned cancer centers and reference laboratories such as:

BioReference® and Tennessee Oncology in the U.S.; Oncohelix in Canada; Dasa in Brazil; Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg in Germany; Stavanger University Hospital in Norway; IUCT Oncopole in France; Synnovis and South West Genomic Laboratory Hub, operating out of North Bristol NHS Trust in the U.K.; Sofiva Genomics in Taiwan; Syndicate Bio in Nigeria; A.O.U. Senese in Italy; and Karkinos Healthcare and Strand Life Sciences in India.

The partnership with AstraZeneca will further catalyze the adoption of MSK-ACCESS® powered with SOPHiA DDM™.

As more hospitals and labs go into routine, SOPHiA GENETICS and AstraZeneca, in collaboration with leading cancer institutes within the SOPHiA GENETICS community, will generate a vast set of real-world data from patients around the world with a variety of cancers. This data set has the potential to generate unique insights towards advancing cancer research and drug development.

"We are deeply committed to bringing liquid biopsy expertise to labs and institutions throughout the globe at an expedited pace, and are confident this rollout will further support access to testing and aid in providing data-driven treatment options to patients around the world," said Kristina Rodnikova, Head of Global Oncology Diagnostics, AstraZeneca.

The deployment of MSK-ACCESS® powered with SOPHiA DDM™ was announced in October 2023 as part of a collaboration between SOPHiA GENETICS, AstraZeneca and MSK. Together, the three companies are working to combat global health inequities and advance cancer research.

For more information on SOPHiA GENETICS, visit SOPHiAGENETICS.COM, or connect on LinkedIn. 

About SOPHiA GENETICS
SOPHiA GENETICS (Nasdaq: SOPH) is a cloud-native healthcare technology company on a mission to expand access to data-driven medicine by using AI to deliver world-class care to patients with cancer and rare disorders across the globe. It is the creator of the SOPHiA DDM™ Platform, which analyzes complex genomic and multimodal data and generates real-time, actionable insights for a broad global network of hospital, laboratory, and biopharma institutions.  For more information, visit SOPHiAGENETICS.COM and connect with us on LinkedIn. 

SOPHiA GENETICS products are for Research Use Only and not for use in diagnostic procedures unless specified otherwise. The information in this press release is about products that may or may not be available in different countries and, if applicable, may or may not have received approval or market clearance by a governmental regulatory body for different indications for use. Please contact support@sophiagenetics.com to obtain the appropriate product information for your country of residence. 

Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) has institutional financial interests related to SOPHiA GENETICS.

SOPHiA GENETICS Forward-Looking Statements: 
This press release contains statements that constitute forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release, including statements regarding our future results of operations and financial position, business strategy, products, and technology, as well as plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on our management's beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to our management. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements due to various factors, including those described in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. No assurance can be given that such future results will be achieved. Such forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof. We expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to update these forward-looking statements contained in this press release to reflect any change in our expectations or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which such statements are based, unless required to do so by applicable law. No representations or warranties (expressed or implied) are made about the accuracy of any such forward-looking statements. 

 

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FAQ

What did AstraZeneca (AZN) and SOPHiA GENETICS announce on November 4, 2025 regarding liquid biopsy?

They announced a collaboration to deploy MSK-ACCESS® powered with SOPHiA DDM™ to 20 institutions globally over the next 12 months.

How many institutions have adopted MSK-ACCESS powered with SOPHiA DDM as of the November 4, 2025 announcement?

Since the April 2024 launch, 14 institutions have signed on to pilot or adopt the application.

What is the purpose of the real-world evidence study in the AZN and SOPHiA GENETICS partnership?

To evaluate operational benefits such as speed of results and consistency of high-quality data across varied laboratory settings.

How does MSK-ACCESS powered with SOPHiA DDM™ differ from traditional tissue biopsy testing?

It uses a blood draw to isolate cfDNA/ctDNA, offering a less invasive complement when tissue is insufficient or biopsy is not feasible.

Will the AZN collaboration expand access to liquid biopsy in underserved regions?

The announcement states the rollout aims to accelerate global access, including in underserved populations.