Oxford BioDynamics PLC shares surged on Wednesday as it announced a strategic deal with Bupa UK Insurance to enhance access to a ‘first-of-its-kind’ blood test for cancer patients.

The stock was up 15% at 37.94 pence in London on Wednesday.

The biotechnology company, which is developing precision medicine tests based on the EpiSwitch 3D genomics platform, said the agreement will allow Bupa Insurance Ltd customers in the UK to access its EpiSwitch Checkpoint inhibitor Response Test.

Bupa UK Insurance Medical Director Tim Woodman said the deal ‘will give our customers a leap in confidence when navigating complex decisions about their therapy’, and ‘reflects our commitment to leverage advanced precision medicine testing to transform cancer care’.

Oxford BioDynamics said the ‘first-of-its-kind’ EpiSwitch CiRT blood test provides unique treatment planning benefits for doctors by accurately predicting individual cancer patients’ therapeutic responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors. ICIs currently ‘offer a long-term survival advantage to less than 1 in 4 patients’, as well as being expensive and causing ‘unwarranted’ side effects.

Under the agreement, Bupa health insurance customers being considered for immunotherapy will be offered the EpiSwitch test, ‘ensuring their doctor receives state-of-the-art personalised guidance to inform their treatment plan.’ The test will also be available to doctors considering treating Bupa customers with an ICI.

‘Joining forces with a pioneering healthcare organisation like Bupa will enhance access to the EpiSwitch CiRT test across the UK,’ commented Oxford BioDynamics Chief Executive Officer Jon Burrows. ‘Gaining reimbursement from the UK’s leading health insurer is another milestone for the company, as well as for Bupa customers and their doctors.’

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