SOPHiA GENETICS and AstraZeneca Spain expand HRD testing program to support molecular diagnosis of ovarian cancer in Spain

BOSTON and ROLLE, Switzerland and MADRID, Feb. 7, 2024 -- SOPHiA GENETICS (Nasdaq: SOPH), a cloud-native software company and a leader in data-driven medicine, today announced it has expanded an existing program in Spain to increase access to local testing for homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) throughout the country. The expansion of the program, supported by AstraZeneca Spain and its network throughout the country, will further SOPHiA GENETICS' commitment to global health equity by making this vital testing available to thousands more patients in the country.

The program from SOPHiA GENETICS and AstraZeneca Spain started in 2022, when AstraZeneca and SOPHiA GENETICS collaborated to deploy HRD testing to five labs throughout the country. In just six weeks on average, the labs were ready to start processing samples, allowing them to process tumor samples in an expedient manner. This collaboration allowed for over 4,000 samples to be analyzed to-date, equating to approximately 90 percent of HRD testing available for patients in Spain.

With today's announcement, AstraZeneca Spain named SOPHiA GENETICS its preferred partner in deploying HRD testing throughout Spain. Together, SOPHiA GENETICS and AstraZeneca are offering the option for HRD testing to become available to even more laboratories throughout the country to help facilitate in-house HRD detection. The testing will not only aid in identifying HRD-positive tumors but will support faster diagnostics by increasing the volume and speed of next-generation sequencing (NGS) testing and tumor profiling available. By deploying the SOPHiA DDM™ Platform across further labs, the companies aim to increase accelerated diagnostics for patients and support clinicians in precision treatment planning.

For Marta Moreno, director of Corporate Affairs and Market Access of AstraZeneca Spain, "At AstraZeneca we are focused on putting the medicine precision available to patients collaborating with hospitals and reference centers throughout Spain. Thanks to the study of biomarkers we can improve the approach to cancer patients, giving them treatment with greater guarantee of effectiveness and as personalized as possible, complying with our goal of chronicling cancer and getting rid of it someday as a cause of death. Hence our agreement with SOPHiA GENETICS, to offer hospital centers throughout Spain the possibility of making an accurate diagnosis for patients with ovarian cancer."

"The ability for local facilities in Spain to test for HRD status is paramount to providers in the region developing data-driven treatment plans to help increase positive health outcomes," said Kevin Puylaert, Managing Director, EMEA, SOPHiA GENETICS. "We are excited to expand our testing program across several local diagnostic facilities. This program will not only make a difference to those who receive testing but will increase the volume of global data on HRD to help further progress on treatment options for those facing ovarian cancer."

HRD is caused by a cell's impaired ability to repair DNA double-stranded breaks through the homologous recombination repair (HRR) pathway; it is an important predictor of tumor response to certain treatment options. HRD is linked with the development of several cancers, including advanced ovarian cancer, and is the most prevalent alteration in ovarian cancer¹, with approximately half of all newly diagnosed patients having HRD-positive tumors².

About AstraZeneca Spain

AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/Nasdaq: AZN) is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of prescription medicines in Oncology, Rare Diseases and Biopharma, including Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism, and Respiratory and Immunology. Headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom, AstraZeneca operates in more than 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients around the world.

AstraZeneca is a Top Employers in Spain and Europe and has been awarded the EFR certificate for a Family Responsible Company.

Visit astrazeneca.es and follow the company on Twitter @AstraZenecaES and Instagram @AstraZenecaES

About SOPHiA GENETICS 

SOPHiA GENETICS (Nasdaq: SOPH) is a software company dedicated to establishing the practice of data-driven medicine as the standard of care and for life sciences research. It is the creator of the SOPHiA DDM™ Platform, a cloud-native platform capable of analyzing data and generating insights from complex multimodal data sets and different diagnostic modalities. The SOPHiA DDM™ Platform and related solutions, products, and services are currently used by a broad network of hospital, laboratory, and biopharma institutions globally. For more information, visit SOPHiAGENETICS.COM, or connect on X, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. Where others see data, we see answers. 

SOPHiA DDM™ Dx HRD Solution is available as a CE-IVD product for In Vitro Diagnostic Use in Europe and Turkey. The information in this press release is about products that may or may not be available in different countries and, if applicable, may or may not have received approval or market clearance by a governmental regulatory body for different indications for use. Please contact support@sophiagenetics.com to obtain the appropriate product information for your country of residence.

SOPHiA GENETICS Forward-Looking Statements: 

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¹https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10342032/#:~:text=According%20to%20The%20Cancer%20Genome,clinical%20benefits%20of%20PARP%20inhibitors.

²https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0923753421048286

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