Delve Bio presents study showing utility of metagenomic next generation sequencing (mNGS) in diagnosing neurological infections

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Delve Bio, a pioneer in metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) for infectious diseases, in collaboration with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), today announced data on the use of mNGS for the diagnosis of infectious causes of meningitis and/or encephalitis in real-world clinical settings. The study was presented by Charles Chiu, M.D., Ph.D., Delve Bio co-founder and Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Medicine / Infectious Diseases at UCSF, at the 76th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) in Denver, Colorado.

The study included a large cohort of more than 4,800 patients over seven years diagnosed at UCSF. The study found mNGS uncovered a definitive diagnosis of the cause of infection for more than 1 in 4 patients overall, of which 60% were clinically significant diagnoses that informed treatment. In addition, the study found mNGS provided a definitive diagnosis for nearly 1 in 3 immunocompromised patients.

“We firmly believe that mNGS delivers the most conclusive, unbiased and actionable tool for the diagnosis of infectious diseases,” said Dr. Chiu. “Importantly, this test is already impacting patient care, and the data presented at AAN shows real-world experience using mNGS to deliver answers to more than a thousand patients who otherwise would have gone undiagnosed. Partnering with Delve Bio will enable us to make this technology pioneered at UCSF to become more accessible.”

Delve Bio launched in June 2023 to commercialize mNGS technology originally developed at UCSF and exclusively licensed to Delve Bio. The company’s flagship cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) testing service, Delve Neuro, includes a state-of-the-art CLIA lab processing and robust clinical decision support in a service with turnaround times of under 48 hours. Ultimately, Delve Neuro will enable more patients with potentially life-threatening neurological infections to benefit from faster, more comprehensive diagnoses. Delve Neuro is expected to become more broadly available later this year.

Company expands leadership team

Delve Bio also announced that Jeff Field, an industry veteran with a proven track record of bringing disruptive genomic technologies to market, has joined to lead commercialization efforts.

“We’re thrilled that Jeff has brought his long track record of commercial leadership in genomics and deep commitment to improving patient care to spearhead our efforts to bring mNGS technology to market,” said Brad Murray, CEO of Delve Bio. “Conventional methods to diagnose the underlying cause of meningitis and encephalitis can involve a lengthy series of trials and errors, leading to over 50% of cases that remain undiagnosed. Metagenomic sequencing holds tremendous promise to precisely identify viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites in cerebrospinal fluid that can cause meningitis and encephalitis with a single test and a single sample, enabling physicians to initiate appropriate treatment more quickly.”

Mr. Field is an established commercial leader with broad commercial experience across both start-ups and Fortune 100 companies, with expertise in launching and commercializing disruptive healthcare technologies. Prior to joining Delve Bio, Mr. Field served as Chief Commercial Officer at Clear Labs and IDbyDNA (acquired by Illumina). Previously, Jeff led commercial efforts at GenePeeks, launching an NGS-based technology platform for rare autosomal recessive genetic diseases, and Foundation Medicine, commercializing its comprehensive tumor genomic profiling NGS-assays for cancer patients. In addition to his work within industry, Mr. Field is the founder of a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation dedicated to supporting research and families with children with rare cancers, rare genetic diseases, and rare congenital heart disease.

About Delve Bio, Inc.

Delve Bio is a metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) company that empowers laboratories and clinicians with the insights they need to confidently diagnose routine and rare infectious diseases, thereby minimizing the impact of harmful pathogens on humanity. By leveraging its unbiased, pathogen-agnostic mNGS platform, Delve Bio is able to identify a wide range of pathogens with a single test. Founded by world leaders in genomics and infectious disease Drs. Charles Chiu, Joe DeRisi, Michael Wilson, Pardis Sabeti, and Matthew Meyerson, The company is backed by top institutional investors including Perceptive Xontogeny Venture Fund II, Section 32, and GV, along with leading individual investors. For more information, visit www.delve.bio.

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