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| Image created by Dr. Michael J. Miller |
Delve Bio, a pioneer in metagenomic sequencing, today announced the commercial launch of Delve Detect, its groundbreaking metagenomic test for infectious diseases. Built on the platform developed at University of California San Francisco (UCSF), Delve Detect offers genomic testing of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for more than 68,000 pathogens, with 48-hour turnaround time and metagenomics experts readily available to discuss results.
“Building on years of clinical experience, Delve Bio’s robust approach to metagenomic sequencing will transform testing and treatment for infectious diseases by delivering the most conclusive, unbiased and actionable diagnosis available today,” said Joe DeRisi, Ph.D., Delve Bio co-founder, Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics at UCSF, and president of the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub San Francisco. “Delve Detect offers exactly that combination of technology and support to ensure laboratories and physicians can make the best treatment decisions for patients facing serious central nervous system infections.”
Data from more than 4,800 patients tested over seven years at UCSF – representing the largest study of metagenomic next generation sequencing (mNGS) CSF testing – found mNGS delivered the highest diagnostic yield of any test, directly identifying more pathogens than all other testing methods (culture, antigen testing, PCR) combined. Landmark data published in Nature Medicine showed Delve Detect mNGS detected pathogens in 14.4% of samples, representing 437 unique pathogen species, including DNA and RNA viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. Among a subset of more than 1,000 patients treated at UCSF, 21.8% (48 of 220) of infections were identified by mNGS alone.
“Experience with mNGS testing over the last seven years has made it clear this approach has a vital role to play in improving diagnosis for serious neurological infections like meningitis and encephalitis,” said Brad Murray, co-founder and chief executive officer of Delve Bio. “Delve Detect establishes a broadly available testing service that delivers the accuracy of this groundbreaking technology with the turnaround time and expert support needed to make it easy for laboratories, neurologists and infectious disease physicians to use mNGS for patients facing serious CNS infections.”
Delve Detect provides laboratories with simple-to-use, room-temperature CSF transfer kits, premium overnight shipping, 48-hour turnaround time, and results reporting that includes access to Delve’s Clinical Microbial Sequencing Board, an on-call team of infectious disease experts to review results in clinical context. Sample processing and sequencing takes place at Broad Clinical Labs, the world-leading genome sequencing and testing laboratory. The resulting data is analyzed by Delve Bio’s proprietary platform, Delve Decide, which rapidly analyzes millions of DNA and RNA sequences with its custom curated database of more than 68,000 infection-causing pathogens.
“The launch of Delve Detect is a major step forward for patients battling the uncertainty associated with life-threatening and often undefined infections,” said Michael Pellini, M.D., managing partner of Section 32 and former CEO of Foundation Medicine. “The combination of technology pioneered by the world’s foremost infectious disease and neurology experts with a team creating a best-in-class commercial offering will help drive the transformation of infectious disease testing from hypothesis-based, serial testing to one sample, one test, comprehensive assessment and diagnosis.”
About Delve Bio, Inc.
Delve Bio is a metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) company that empowers laboratories and clinicians with the insights they need to confidently diagnose routine and rare infectious diseases, thereby minimizing the impact of harmful pathogens on humanity. By leveraging its unbiased, pathogen-agnostic mNGS platform, Delve Bio is able to identify a wide range of pathogens with a single test.