Protocols will be leveraged by Acorn’s network of oncology practices and hospitals.

Clarient and Acorn Research are collaborating to standardize molecular testing of tumor samples. The agreement has the potential to improve oncology treatment and research on delivering targeted treatments based on the specific genetic markers for each patient, the companies state.

Clarient and Acorn aim to establish a testing protocol across the Acorn network of oncology community practices and hospitals with treatment guidelines and clinical trial opportunities. A system for the collection of an array of tumor-specific biomarker data at the time of the patient’s initial cancer diagnosis will be established.

The companies expect Clarient’s expertise in cancer diagnostics combined with Acorn’s oncology network and informatics platform will enable patients’ medical team to better determine the most effective treatment regimen for the patients’ tumor-specific biomarker profile. The Clarient-Acorn collaboration will also enable matching broad biomarker data with outcome data from clinical trials and clinical practice to help identify new prognostic markers and biomarker-specific treatments.

“As part of our commitment to take cancer personally, we are pleased to be working together with Acorn Research to provide oncologists within their network with a full menu of molecular testing, which can help identify the unique characteristics, or biomarkers, of a particular cancer,” comments Ron Andrews, CEO of Clarient.

“This information provides pathologists with crucial information to assist oncologists in diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment planning. Also, the opportunity to discover new markers that could be relevant in the individualized treatment of cancer has the potential to improve mortality rates, enhance patient quality of life, and reduce the cost burden on cancer treatment to both patients and payers.”

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