Project aims to apply multiomic profiling for non-invasive diagnostic development in partnership with NHS biobank and research trust.

Tagomics has been awarded £860,000 through Innovate UK’s Biomedical Catalyst programme to support the development of a novel diagnostic test for the early detection of colorectal cancer. The funding forms part of a £1.2 million project, with the remaining contribution provided by the company.

The project will involve the customisation of Tagomics’ Interlace platform, a proprietary multiomics workflow designed to unlock complex disease-associated DNA biomarkers. The grant will enable the platform to be tailored for colorectal cancer detection, including the identification of genetic and epigenetic alterations associated with disease progression. Tagomics is working in collaboration with the Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust and the Northern Care Alliance Research Collection biobank to conduct a clinical pilot study.

The Interlace platform uses a targeted epigenetic profiling approach that enriches unmethylated DNA without altering the underlying sequence. This allows for the capture of rich biomarker data with minimal sample modification. The study will focus on a cohort of 250 patients suspected of having colorectal cancer and aims to validate multiomic biomarkers identified through the platform.

Dr Robert Neely, chief scientific officer and co-founder of Tagomics, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded the Biomedical Catalyst grant as part of the Innovate UK programme, recognising the potential of our multiomic workflow in novel diagnostic and therapeutic technologies. We believe that the unique, information-rich dataset that Interlace provides us will be pivotal in detecting colorectal cancer at the earliest possible stages of development, enabling treatment of the cancer when it is most vulnerable to modern therapeutics, with the aim of dramatically improving patient outcomes.”

The pilot study will be led by Dr Arash Assadsangabi, consultant physician and gastroenterologist at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust. If successful, it is expected to support further validation of the Interlace platform and expansion into other disease indications.

Tagomics also confirmed that Agilent Technologies will continue to support the development of the platform, following their collaboration in the early stages of Interlace’s creation. The two companies are combining their respective technologies, with Interlace working alongside Agilent’s SureSelect target enrichment solutions.

Dr Rita Shaknovich, chief medical officer at Agilent Technologies, said: “The Biomedical Catalyst grant is a fantastic achievement for Tagomics, reflecting the enormous potential for its novel multiomics workflow in the early detection of cancers. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Tagomics and supporting the development of new applications for the Interlace platform, which brings together the strengths of Tagomics’ epigenetics platform with Agilent’s SureSelect target enrichment solutions, furthering cancer research and ultimately aiming to improve patient outcomes.”