
Veracyte’s Afirma-Based Testing Reveals Novel Molecular Insights into Thyroid Cancer; Company Launches GRID Technology to Further Genetic Understanding of Thyroid Cancer
Veracyte, Inc. has unveiled new data presented at the 2023 American Thyroid Association (ATA) Annual Meeting, highlighting the unique molecular insights enabled by their Afirma Genomic Sequencing Classifier (GSC) for thyroid nodules and cancer. These findings, presented across three posters by clinical researchers, demonstrate the potential of Afirma’s whole-transcriptome RNA sequencing data to advance the understanding and treatment of thyroid conditions. The studies demonstrated the potential future use of Afirma GSC testing to predict a thyroid cancer’s response to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy, data on why isthmus-based thyroid cancers are likely to be more aggressive, and the potential to determine treatment selection based upon Sodium Iodide Symporter (NIS) Expression in thyroid tumors. These studies represent potential future evolutions of the Affirma technology.
Additionally, Veracyte has introduced the Afirma Genomic Resource for Intelligent Discovery (GRID) platform. Afirma GRID is a research use only tool, similar to its widely used tool with Decipher in prostate cancer. Developed through Veracyte’s innovative discovery work and utilization of published literature, Afirma GRID aims to be a comprehensive resource for investigating molecular characteristics that could enhance the management of patients with thyroid nodules. This tool is available upon request and is intended for research purposes for thyroid nodules classified as suspicious for cancer by Afirma GSC or as Bethesda V or VI by cytopathology. Dr. Joshua Klopper, Veracyte’s medical director for Endocrinology, emphasized the goal of ushering in a new era of personalized diagnosis and treatment for thyroid nodules and cancer with Afirma GRID, similar to the impact the company has had in prostate cancer research with its Decipher GRID tool.