Orion's Molecular Diagnostics unit is developing a new class of epigenetic diagnostic products to identify patients at risk of developing cancer, and to aid physicians in therapy selection decisions.

Unlike other diagnostics companies whose products associate specific DNA mutations with disease (the genetic code), Orion Genomics is developing diagnostic products to take advantage of new research. This research shows that changes in DNA methylation (or DNA's epigenetic code) are far more prevalent than DNA mutations, are associated with age, and are strongly linked to the presence and progression of age-related diseases like cancer. Our pipeline of DNA methylation-based molecular diagnostic kits is being designed to quantitatively measure changes in DNA methylation that may not only provide important information about the presence of cancer and its progression, but also provide doctors with information which may help them choose the best treatment options. We are researching cancers of the breast, prostate, lung, colon and bladder, and future product development could benefit patients with other types of cancer.