BC Platforms delivers data platform for UK research consortium to improve detection of lung cancer

ZURICH and LONDON, Dec. 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BC Platforms, a global leader in clinical and genomic data management, analytics and access, today announced it is providing its discovery and research platform BC|INSIGHT to enable ground-breaking medical research into the early diagnosis of lung cancer in order to save lives. Lung cancer is the biggest cause of cancer death in the UK and worldwide.

The consortium is led by the Universities of Southampton and Leeds, together with healthcare, diagnostics and informatics companies, to test the best way of detecting cancers at a stage when they can still be cured, linking to the NHS England Lung Health Checks programme. In addition to BC Platforms, the research collaborators include Johnson & Johnson, Roche, Oncimmune, Inivata and others.

As well as targeting increased survival rates, the project – called 'iDx-LUNG' – aims to improve the efficiency of testing in people at high risk of cancer. This project, which is coordinated by the Cancer Research UK/NIHR Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, will ask 15,000 people who attend NHS England lung health checks at mobile CT scanners in Hampshire and Yorkshire to give blood samples and nasal swabs for testing. The samples will be analysed for changes that could indicate early cancer development.

The tests being used have been developed by the companies working together in the consortium but have never been used in combination or with CT scanning. BC Platforms' BC|INSIGHT will be used as the software platform to deliver rapid insights through data harmonization, management and analysis of the research data.

Peter Johnson, Professor of Medical Oncology at the University of Southampton, who is leading the project, said: "We urgently need to find ways to detect lung cancer early, to drive up people's chances of a cure.  This unique collaborative effort between universities, the NHS and companies with ground-breaking technologies is aimed at doing just that."

Tero Silvola, CEO of BC Platforms, commented: "We are delighted to support this consortium in order to enable the early detection of lung cancer. Our BC|INSIGHT platform can support a rapid and co-ordinated analysis of data to make informed decisions regarding patients at highest risk of developing lung cancer."

The iDx-Lung research project is part of the UK's Government's Early Diagnosis Mission to diagnose three-quarters of cancers at an early stage by 2028, is able to go ahead thanks to approximately £3.5million-worth of funding from the Government's Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF), part of a total investment of £10 million in the programme overall.

About BC Platforms

BC Platforms is a global leader in providing a powerful data and technology platform for personalized medicine and drug development, accelerating the translation of insights into clinical practice. Our technology drives the infinite loop between personalized care and research discoveries, leveraging latest science, deep technical expertise, strategic partnerships, and harmonized, diverse data collections. Our high performing platforms enable high throughput genomic data production, flexible data integration, secure data management, efficient analysis and interpretation of molecular and clinical information.

BC Platforms has developed the Global Data Partner Network BCRQUEST.com, which provides access and analytics on genomic and clinical cohort data for drug developers.

Founded in 1997 from an MIT Whitehead project spinoff, the Company has a strong scientific heritage underpinned by over 20 years of working in close collaboration with a network of leading researchers, developers, manufacturers and vendors. BC Platforms has global operations with its headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, research and development in Espoo, Finland, and sales and marketing in Boston, USA, London, UK and Singapore.  For more information, please visit www.bcplatforms.com or follow us on Linkedin BC Platforms.

About the University of Southampton

The University of Southampton drives original thinking, turns knowledge into action and impact, and creates solutions to the world's challenges. We are among the top 90 institutions globally (QS World University Rankings 2021) and top 15 in the UK (The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021). Our academics are leaders in their fields, inspiring a 22,000-strong community of exceptional students, from over 135 countries worldwide. As a founding member of the Russell Group, we are committed to using our knowledge to help shape economic, cultural and intellectual decisions, playing a part in researching solutions to national and global issues. The University works in partnership with other universities, businesses and charities to combine resources, in projects such as the £25m state-of-the-art Cancer Immunology Centre. www.southampton.ac.uk.

About the Leeds Centre for Personalised Medicine and Health

The Leeds Centre for Personalised Medicine and Health (LCPMH), established in 2016 by the Leeds Academic Health Partnership, brings together the city's NHS providers and commissioners, universities, local authority, and Yorkshire and Humber Academic Health Science Network. By driving whole-system collaboration, the Centre has accelerated the research, evaluation, and adoption of new treatments and technologies. It has driven market access through innovative risk sharing agreements and worked closely with industry to embed cutting-edge molecular and data-driven technologies into the health service. The Centre has recently secured investment to progress an ambitious strategy focused on personalised prevention, with flagship programmes aimed at Arresting Cancer and Preventing Frailty – building off major national and charitable infrastructure.

Media contacts:
BC Platforms:
Tero Silvola
BC Platforms AG
tero.silvola@bcplatforms.com
 
Katja Stout
Scius Communications
katja@sciuscommunications.com