Horizon Discovery Ltd. Introduces Cell Free DNA HDx Reference Standards

• Horizon’s new Reference Standards support the development and optimization of cell-free DNA based assays
• Cell-free DNA analysis is emerging as an important tool for non-invasive liquid biopsies

CAMBRIDGE, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Horizon Discovery Group plc (LSE:HZD) (Horizon), the international life science company supplying research tools and services to organizations engaged in genomics research and the development of personalized medicines, announces the introduction of its cell free DNA (cfDNA) HDx Reference Standards. The new Reference Standards support the development and optimization of cfDNA assays, which are emerging as an important tool for non-invasive liquid biopsies.

Horizon’s cfDNA Reference Standards enable researchers to demonstrate the performance of their cfDNA assays by providing a reproducible, consistent and reliable source of reference material for their development and evaluation.

Created from engineered cell lines, cfDNA Reference Standards are available in both singleplex and multiplex format with cancer-relevant mutations including BRAF, EGFR, KRAS, NRAS, and PIK3CA. These Reference Standards consist of human genomic DNA fragmented to 160 bp, representative of plasma-derived cfDNA, and are provided as a set of precisely defined allelic frequencies from as low as 0.1%. A matched wild type is included. cfDNA Reference Standards with further genetic variants are currently in development.

These highly-characterized standards are able to feed directly into any cfDNA workflow from whole-genome, whole-exome, or amplicon based NGS sequencing, to qPCR and ddPCR platforms. Applications include assay validation, establishing standard curves, quantifying background noise, and defining the limit of detection of a workflow.

Horizon’s cfDNA Reference Standards were recently provided under an Early Access Program. This involved working with 20 of Horizon’s commercial and academic partners from around the world to demonstrate the utility of the standards across a broad range of assays and platforms. Horizon will be publishing these findings shortly.

Dr Paul Morrill, President, Products Business, Horizon Discovery Group, commented: “Horizon continues to take a leadership role in driving improvements in clinical diagnostics from the perspective of providing reference standards, enabling pathology laboratories and diagnostic developers to ensure that their assays are providing accurate results. Through Horizon, customers are able to access reference standards of the same quality for assay development as are being widely used for routine validation and quality control.”

Horizon’s Reference Standards are manufactured under ISO 9001, with tight quality control, and are trusted by over 500 laboratories around the world.

ENDS

Notes for Editors

About Horizon Discovery Group plc www.horizondiscovery.com/

Horizon is a revenue-generating life science group supplying research tools to organizations engaged in translational genomics research and the development of personalized medicines. Horizon has a diverse and international customer base of over 1,200 organizations across more than 50 countries, including major pharmaceutical, biotechnology and diagnostic companies as well as leading academic research centers. The Group supplies its products and services into multiple markets, estimated to total in excess of £29 billion by 2015.

Horizon’s core capabilities are built around its proprietary translational genomics platform, a high-precision and flexible suite of gene editing tools able to alter almost any endogenous gene sequence of human or mammalian cell-lines. Horizon offers over 20,000 catalogue products, almost all of which are based on the application of gene editing to generate cell lines that accurately model the disease-causing mutations found in genetically based diseases. These ‘patients-in-a-test-tube’ are being used by customers to identify the effect of individual or compound genetic mutations on drug activity, patient responsiveness, and resistance, which may lead to the successful prediction of which patient sub-groups will respond to currently available and future drug treatments.

In addition, Horizon provides custom cell line and in vivo model generation services for research and bioproduction applications, quantitative molecular reference standards, in vivo disease models, and contract research and custom screening services.

Horizon is headquartered in Cambridge, UK, and is listed on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM market under the ticker “HZD”, for further information please visit: www.horizondiscovery.com.

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