Haystack Oncology, a Quest Diagnostics company, and Lisata Therapeutics (Nasdaq: LSTA) have announced a research collaboration to evaluate the efficacy of a pancreatic cancer therapy. Lisata will use Haystack's MRD™ technology to detect circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in a clinical study of certepetide plus chemotherapy for metastatic pancreatic cancer.
The collaboration is part of the FORTIFIDE study, which investigates certepetide's safety, tolerability, and efficacy in combination with standard treatment for metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (mPDAC). Haystack's technology will measure serum ctDNA levels throughout the study as an exploratory endpoint to analyze certepetide's early therapeutic effect.
This collaboration aims to address the challenge of early response measurement in pancreatic cancer treatment development, potentially offering a more sensitive alternative to conventional imaging assessments.