Cytel Inc., an advanced analytics leader providing sophisticated quantitative insights to decision-makers in clinical investigation, has launched East Alloy. This new platform is a web-native extension of Cytel’s world-renowned East software for adaptive clinical trial design and analysis.
By leveraging the speed of cloud computing and the pace of SaaS delivery, East Alloy enables easy implementation of computationally intensive Bayesian methods that may be otherwise impractical. The launch of East Alloy builds on Cytel’s time-tested record of delivering cutting-edge Bayesian tools and engines to the pharmaceutical industry for optimized clinical trials.
Bayesian methods are of growing interest to the drug development industry, as they allow clinical investigators to leverage historical trial data as well as learnings from new data as it accrues throughout a trial. The result is better-informed decision making, greater program flexibility, and the ability to run smaller, more resource-efficient trials.
“Our longstanding dedication to adaptive Bayesian approaches means we’re perfectly placed to meet and exceed the growing innovation needs of the pharmaceutical sector,” said Pantelis Vlachos, Director and Strategic Consultant at Cytel. “But it’s key to ensure our customers can practically implement this kind of innovation. East Alloy, reinforced by industry-leading verification, training, and support from Cytel experts, means users can sustainably adopt Bayesian designs to expedite clinical development and overcome uncertainty without compromising scientific rigor.”
The release of East Alloy follows the launch of East Hosted in 2019, which brought Cytel’s East software into the cloud for the first time to simplify the deployment of software updates, reduce on-premise IT burden, and ultimately broaden access to Cytel’s trial design and analysis engines.

• For more information about Cytel, visit: https://www.cytel.com

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Although your instruments may automatically detect HIL interferences, shouldn’t the lab’s QC program include pre-analytical checks to monitor instruments’ ability to detect them? Studies show that interferences from hemolysed, icteric or lipemic (HIL) specimens are amongst the most common pre-analytical errors.  Liquichek Serum Indices is a quality indicator intended for use as part of laboratory interference testing to monitor an instrument’s ability to detect these three types of samples. Replicating relevant concentrations of HIL interferences using human-sourced materials will allow confidence in the instrument’s performance. With Bio-Rad’s Unity Interlaboratory Program, the user is able to compare instrument responses among peer groups to help avoid costly test repeats. https://tinyurl.com/yxpmoe2e
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Horizon Discovery Group, a global leader in the application of gene editing and gene modulation for cell line engineering, has added two new sample formats to its cell-based OncoSpan reference standards for use in the development and validation of workflows for cancer diagnostic assays.
Horizon’s OncoSpan range now includes formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) and cell-free DNA (cfDNA) formats for mimicking solid tumors and liquid biopsy samples, respectively, in addition to its well-established genomic DNA (gDNA) format. Its cfDNA format offers one of the largest number of variants and genes, over 380 and 152 respectively, of any characterized reference standard to help standardize liquid biopsy testing.
These cell-line derived reference standards closely mimic patient samples and offer an unlimited and reproducible resource to help ensure consistency during the establishment and validation of diagnostic assays. All three formats are delivered with batch-specific, next-generation sequencing (NGS) data, orthogonally validated by ddPCR, to allow researchers to further validate their analysis pipeline.
For further information, visit: horizondiscovery.com/en/products/diagnostic-reference-standards/PIFs/OncoSpan-cfDNA
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Abbott has announced CE Mark for the Alinity m diagnostic system and assays that will allow laboratories to meet the growing demand for infectious disease testing by offering increased efficiency, speed and accuracy. This new technology will provide high flexibility in molecular diagnostic testing, allowing more tests to be done in shorter timeframes, while reducing the space and number of instruments needed to conduct large amounts of tests. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that more than a billion people around the world are living with infectious diseases. For people living with infectious diseases, quick and accurate molecular test results are needed to help prevent the spread of communicable diseases globally. Advanced molecular testing also allows patients to be diagnosed correctly and then monitored for their response to treatment. Molecular laboratories are playing an increasingly important role in providing critical test results for infectious disease diagnosis. Alinity m will significantly improve the way these laboratories operate by letting staff run any sample at any time, without the need to group samples, allowing them to focus on giving physicians the information they need to make accurate, timely clinical decisions. Alinity m provides superior flexibility for lab staff and faster testing results for clinicians and patients.  Alinity m may also reduce the lab equipment footprint from four to six instruments down to one – decreasing the space requirements and hours spent learning and maintaining different instruments. Now available in countries that recognize CE Mark, Alinity m offers initial assays including virologic testing for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV); sexual health-related testing for Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Trichomonas vaginalis, and Mycoplasma genitalium or CT/NG/TV/MG panel; and high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) testing. Local product availability may vary depending on geographic location.

ABBOTT
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