Largest DLBCL cohort studied to date with a genome-wide structural assay highlights the limitations of target-limited FISH and the added diagnostic context of Hi-C from FFPE tissue
CARLSBAD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--#ASH--Arima Genomics, Inc., a company leveraging whole-genome sequence and structure information to provide comprehensive cancer therapy selection insights, today announced new data to be presented at the 2025 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition taking place in Orlando, FL from December 6–9, 2025.
In the largest cohort to date comparing the Hi-C–based method for genome-wide analysis of fusions and rearrangements used in the Aventa™ Lymphoma test with conventional fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), investigators showed that the Hi-C assay identified additional clinically relevant rearrangements that routine FISH panels missed, and did so with higher sensitivity for key biomarkers associated with diagnosis and prognosis.
The retrospective study evaluated FFPE tumor samples from 159 patients with DLBCL uniformly treated with R-CHOP. All cases had previously undergone FISH testing for MYC, BCL2 and BCL6 rearrangements. Using the same Hi-C sequencing method that underlies the clinically available Aventa Lymphoma test, researchers compared genome-wide structural rearrangement calls to clinical FISH results and assessed the potential clinical impact of discordant findings.
Hi-C sequencing detected additional biomarker rearrangements in approximately one-quarter of DLBCL cases beyond what FISH reported. These included:
- MYC, BCL2, and BCL6 rearrangements that were not detected by standard FISH probes
- Classification biomarkers for other lymphoma entities (such as CCND1, CCND3, IRF4, ALK and MALT rearrangements)
- Rearrangements involving genes that may enable additional treatment options, including PD-L1 and ATM
Across rearrangements the investigators classified as clinically relevant in this cohort, standard FISH detected only about two-thirds, whereas the Hi-C assay detected nearly all of them — meaning that more than one-third of clinically relevant rearrangements would have been missed by FISH alone.
The additional findings were not merely incremental: they supported refinement of lymphoma classification and treatment considerations. In selected cases, the Hi-C results:
- Helped distinguish DLBCL from high-grade B-cell lymphoma with double-hit features
- Prompted reconsideration of a different diagnosis that would suggest an alternative treatment approach
- Identified patients with rearrangements (such as PD-L1, ALK, or ATM) that could make them candidates for targeted therapies or clinical trials
“In this multi-center cohort of 159 R-CHOP–treated DLBCL patients, we directly compared Arima’s innovative, genome-wide Hi-C sequencing assay with the FISH panels that pathologists routinely use today,” said Ken H. Young, MD, PhD, Professor of Pathology and Director of the Hematopathology Division at Duke University School of Medicine. “Hi-C sequencing uncovered additional clinically important rearrangements that routine testing missed and helped clarify the diagnosis or provide additional therapeutic biomarkers in multiple cases. These results indicate that this comprehensive structural assay can significantly improve the workflow of pathology laboratories, without the complexity of anticipating correct targets or the need to run iterative FISH studies in a stepwise process, and represents a clinically meaningful advance in lymphoma diagnostics.”
“This largest study to date using our technology in lymphoma confirms what we have seen both in research settings and clinically with Aventa Lymphoma: when you look genome-wide, you consistently uncover clinically important rearrangements that targeted panels miss,” said Anthony Schmitt, PhD, Senior Vice President, Science, at Arima Genomics. “With Aventa Lymphoma, we aim to give pathologists and oncologists a practical tool for more confident classification, more refined risk assessment, and better alignment of patients with evolving treatment options and clinical trials.”
The data will be presented in a poster session on December 7, 2025, from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM EST:
- Abstract Number: abs25-9162
- Title: Hi-c FFPE sequencing analysis is highly concordant with FISH and detects additional variants informing diagnosis and treatment in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
- Session Name: 621. Lymphomas: Translational – Molecular and Genetic: Poster I
About Aventa Lymphoma
Aventa Lymphoma is the first whole-genome, NGS-based clinical test for gene fusion and rearrangement detection in B- and T-cell lymphomas. Leveraging Arima’s proprietary Hi-C sequencing technology and reporting on 417 genes, it provides the insights clinicians need to provide precise diagnoses, classify subtypes, refine patient risk profiles, and guide therapy selection even from limited sample input. Learn more at www.aventatest.com/aventalymphoma.
About Arima Genomics
Arima Genomics is redefining cancer diagnostics using whole-genome sequence and structure information. Arima’s assays enable a new era of comprehensive, clinically actionable therapy selection insights. The company serves oncologists through its CLIA-certified Aventa clinical testing laboratory in Orlando, Florida, and supports discovery-stage researchers worldwide with advanced kits and informatics. Learn more at www.arimagenomics.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X.
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