CellCarta And Pillar Biosciences Partner To Accelerate Biomarker-Driven Oncology Trials With Streamlined NGS Tumour Profiling

CellCarta and Pillar Biosciences have entered into a global, multi-year strategic partnership to expand access to efficient, streamlined next-generation sequencing (NGS) tumour profiling. The collaboration aims to better support biopharma companies and clinical research organisations by delivering faster, more practical molecular testing solutions worldwide.

As oncology drug development increasingly relies on biomarkers, sponsors are under mounting pressure to accelerate patient enrollment while keeping costs under control. At the same time, clinical trials are evolving into smaller, more targeted patient subgroups, which increases screening demands, operational complexity, and the financial impact of delays. Traditional reliance on broad testing panels often introduces inefficiencies when only specific, relevant biomarkers are required.

“Biomarker-driven oncology trials demand testing strategies that are both operationally efficient and aligned with long-term development goals,” said Robin Grimwood, SVP of Genomics at CellCarta. “Through our partnership with Pillar Biosciences, we combine their streamlined, rapid workflow with our global laboratory execution and deep CDx expertise to support faster enrollment and standardised implementation across regions. Importantly, this collaboration enables us to offer highly targeted, indication-specific panels for prospective testing, with the flexibility to develop custom panels aligned to sponsor programs, providing a consistent foundation for potential companion diagnostic alignment as assets advance.”

To address these challenges, the partnership combines Pillar Biosciences’ oncoReveal NGS panel portfolio with CellCarta’s global clinical trial testing capabilities. This integrated approach allows sponsors to tailor molecular testing strategies to specific study requirements, minimising unnecessary steps while delivering timely, actionable insights that support both enrollment and decision-making.

“Our kitted NGS panels, based on our proprietary SLIMamp® chemistry, were designed to make high-value tumour profiling more operationally accessible to laboratories across the globe while still delivering actionable insights,” said Dan Harma, Chief Commercial Officer at Pillar Biosciences. “By partnering with CellCarta, we can extend that value through a trusted global laboratory network and help sponsors deploy testing strategies that match today’s realities: increasing trial complexity, tighter timelines, and more cost discipline.”

The collaboration will emphasise indication-specific tumour profiling with reduced operational burden, consistent testing performance, and quicker turnaround times. By aligning testing strategies with trial objectives, the partnership aims to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and support increasingly complex biomarker-driven studies in which speed and accuracy are critical to trial success.