Owlstone Medical chief's heartbreak leads to new hope in US-driven cancer programme

The Cambridge Science Park company is the only UK participant in ARPA-H’s POSEIDON program which aims to develop over-the-counter, best-in-class, cancer screening kits engineered for at-home use.

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). It says performer teams aim to revolutionise multi-cancer early detection using synthetic biology to accurately screen for cancers as early as Stage I.

The issue is close to the heart of Owlstone co-founder and CEO Billy Boyle whose wife Kate was diagnosed and later died of colon cancer on Christmas Day 2014 as a result of a hopelessly late diagnosis. Left to bring up twin boys, Billy has since worked closely with clinical partners who integrated FAIMS technology across a broad spectrum of research studies.

The POSEIDON programme update was posted on the ARPA-H website on September 30. It reports that performer teams in the new project are led by:

• Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Penn., with its commercial partner Ginkgo Bioworks, aims to develop orally-administered probiotic sensors, which will release bespoke barcodes for urine-based detection with a custom chip.

• Grafton Biosciences, Inc. in Peachtree Corners, Ga. is to develop both oral and inhalable sensors that will release tunable reporters for urine-based and breath-based detection, respectively, using a smartphone-assisted detection platform.

• Owlstone Medical Limited in Cambridge UK seeks to develop inhalable sensors for urine-based detection using multiplexed reporters and volatile compounds for breath-based detection, each of which will be assessed within a handheld reader.

• SRI International in Menlo Park California aims to develop orally-administered sensors that will release customised barcodes for urine-based detection using an engineered, portable detection platform.

POSEIDON is designed to develop the most sensitive and specific first-in-class, at-home, over-the-counter, synthetic Multi-Cancer-Early Detection (MCED) tests to identify 30+ Stage 1 solid tumours using only breath or urine samples.

According to the National Cancer Institute, more than two million new cases of cancer will have been diagnosed in the United States in 2025. Currently, there is not a recommended screening test for nearly 60 per cent of diagnosed cancers, such as brain, pancreatic, and ovarian cancer.

Current multi-cancer detection (MCD) tests can’t accurately identify stage 1 solid tumours, which is critical to effectively diagnosing and treating cancers.  Additionally, the cost of late-stage, non-curative cancer treatment cost is 2-3x higher than early stage, potentially curative treatment. POSEIDON has the potential to make significant, lasting healthcare and economic contributions to the future of cancer care for all Americans.

“The field of cancer screening needs a revolution, and POSEIDON stands ready to deliver. The program allows for a better future by creating broadly accessible, at-home tests that will accurately detect 30+ cancers as early as Stage I, when tumors are still small and the chances of survival are high,” said POSEIDON Program Manager Ross Uhrich.”

This revolutionary funding effort brings together experts in synthetic biology, oncology, medical devices, big cancer data, and commercialisation to create test kits that will transform how and when people are screened for cancer.

POSEIDON will allow every American the opportunity to test themselves long before they have symptoms and at their discretion. POSEIDON’s rigorous performance metrics and translational focus reflect our clear commitment to bring these technologies safely and directly to all Americans.”

The agency's commitment for the entire program is up to $147 million over five years. Additionally, two corporate performers* have committed to resource sharing of up to $21 million over the duration of the program.

Other Transactions Agreements (not procurement contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements) vary in funding amount per awardee and are contingent upon each team meeting aggressive and accelerated milestones.

“POSEIDON marks a paradigm shift in cancer screening to ensure the greatest healthcare impact for millions of Americans,” said Jason Roos, Ph.D., ARPA-H Acting Director.

“The program envisions POSEIDON’s Multi-Cancer-Early Detection tests conveniently available for all Americans, particularly those in rural environments with more limited access to healthcare providers.”

If successful, the over-the-counter, at-home MCED test device kit will detect 30 different cancers and be fully integrated into clinical care through electronic health record and telemedicine-capabilities. The kit aims to ensure that individuals will connect with a healthcare professional via a telemedicine call within 96 hours and will receive their results either virtually or in-person at the clinician’s discretion.

In cases of a positive result (e.g., presence of cancer), individuals will be connected to the nearest medical centre for an official diagnostic work-up and continued care.

POSEIDON’s emphasis on translation and market penetration ensures the resulting tests will be available to all Americans if they so choose. Further, POSEIDON’s commercial focus is reflected in each team’s structure, which requires that all teams have a clearly defined commercial entity responsible for bringing these cutting-edge technologies to the market.

Find out more on the POSEIDON programme at https://arpa-h.gov/explore-funding/programs/poseidon