Freenome Acquires Global Immunodiagnostics Developer Oncimmune Ltd

– Acquisition enhances Freenome’s product portfolio, including autoantibody platform with additional biomarkers important in cancer detection

– Freenome continues growth trajectory toward offering multiple cancer screening tests and this acquisition accelerates Freenome’s path to clinical impact in new indications

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, May 22, 2023 — Freenome, a privately held biotech company, announced today it has acquired Oncimmune Ltd, a UK-based global immunodiagnostics developer with a commercialized CE-IVD marked EarlyCDT Lung blood test, autoantibody platform and research and development pipeline of 7+ cancer detection signatures.

Oncimmune Ltd is a subsidiary of Oncimmune Holdings plc, a cancer immune-profiling company, with an advanced autoantibody profiling technology and database. EarlyCDT Lung is Oncimmune Ltd’s commercialized CE-IVD marked lung blood test and detects elevated levels of autoantibodies generated by the body’s immune system of patients in the earliest stages of lung cancer. The test has impacted the clinical journey of more than 200,000 people at high risk for lung cancer and those with indeterminate pulmonary nodules (IPN).

The acquisition of Oncimmune Ltd provides Freenome with clinical and commercial resources to complement Freenome’s frontline screening efforts. Oncimmune Ltd’s pipeline of autoantibody targets for other cancer indications will augment Freenome’s multiomics platform with additional non-tumor-derived signals to capture a more comprehensive view of the tumor microenvironment.

Freenome uses a multiomics platform that combines tumor and non-tumor signals with machine learning to detect cancer in its earliest stages using a standard blood draw. The company is completing the FDA verification and validation studies for its colorectal cancer screening test through the PREEMPT CRC trial. In parallel, Freenome has applied its expertise in cancer detection and machine learning to real-world data to develop population health solutions for payers and providers to complement its blood tests and support the entire patient’s care journey.

“The addition of Oncimmune Ltd assets, including a robust pipeline of autoantibody targets, positions Freenome to expand its existing multiomics platform capabilities with non-tumor derived signals and bolsters our tailored portfolio of screening tests for cancer detection. In addition, the growing clinical impact of EarlyCDT Lung, a commercialized autoantibody assay, strengthens Freenome’s lung cancer detection capabilities,” said Mike Nolan, CEO of Freenome. “This merger of expertise and technology fortifies Freenome’s holistic approach to the early detection of multiple cancers and accelerates the timeline to bring our screening tests to the forefront of clinical care.”

Oncimmune Ltd has participated in high-profile clinical studies across the UK, including the Early Detection of Cancer of the Lung Scotland (ECLS) study with 12,210 high-risk smokers. The ECLS study is the largest-ever randomized study for the detection of lung cancer using biomarkers.

In addition, Oncimmune Ltd was selected to supply the EarlyCDT Lung blood test for 15,000 people as part of the National Health System UK Lung Health Check Programme. Oncimmune Ltd platforms, products, and clinical research have been featured in more than 150 peer-reviewed publications, keynotes, presentations, and posters.

Freenome joins seven of the top 15 global pharma companies in leveraging Oncimmune’s autoantibody discovery platform, ImmunoINSIGHTS, based in Dortmund, Germany, a powerful tool used to uncover meaningful insights and biomarkers for cancer and other diseases.

“Under Oncimmune’s stewardship, EarlyCDT Lung was demonstrated to detect cancer earlier and save unnecessary loss of life. By joining forces with Freenome, we will unlock the full potential of the EarlyCDT portfolio, ultimately transforming how cancer is first detected and diagnosed, saving many more lives,” said Dr. Adam M. Hill, CEO of Oncimmune.

The Nottingham office will continue its operations. Oncimmune Ltd employees join the Freenome team effective May 20, 2023.


About Freenome

Freenome is a biotechnology company with a comprehensive multiomics platform for the early detection of cancer using a standard blood draw. The company combines its deep expertise in molecular biology with advanced computational biology and machine learning to detect disease-associated patterns among billions of circulating cell-free biomarkers. Freenome is headquartered in South San Francisco, California.

Contact

press@freenome.com