SOPHiA GENETICS and Jessa Ziekenhuis Unite for Advanced Cancer Care

SOPHiA GENETICS and Jessa Ziekenhuis Form Strategic Alliance for Enhanced Oncology Care

In a significant advancement for cancer treatment, SOPHiA GENETICS, a leading cloud-based healthcare technology company, has announced a partnership with the esteemed Jessa Ziekenhuis in Hasselt, Belgium. This collaboration was revealed during the European Congress of Pathology, highlighting a mutual commitment to providing cutting-edge genomic testing and research capabilities in the field of oncology across Belgium.

Expanding Cancer Care Access

SOPHiA GENETICS, renowned for its expertise in data-driven medicine, aims to leverage its innovative platform to optimize cancer care at Jessa Ziekenhuis. This institution serves a large patient population of over 530,000 and processes more than 3,000 oncology-related DNA and RNA samples annually. Under the terms of this new partnership, Jessa Ziekenhuis will implement SOPHiA DDM™ (Data-Driven Medicine), a state-of-the-art solution designed to streamline and unify its next-generation sequencing (NGS) workflows under a single platform.

The SOPHiA DDM™ platform will provide a comprehensive standardization of library preparation, automated protocols, and an entirely integrated workflow. This integration aims to enhance efficiency and ensure compliance with national guidelines, particularly the ComPerMed directives, allowing for a more effective utilization of sequencing resources.

Innovations in Testing Procedures

Jessa Ziekenhuis intends to adopt six specific applications from SOPHiA GENETICS tailored to its needs in solid tumor testing, hematological malignancies, and liquid biopsy analysis. The enhancements introduced by these applications promise to elevate clinical decision-making capabilities while also enriching research potential.

One of the standout features of the SOPHiA GENETICS solution is its cloud-based platform, which includes embedded automation and sophisticated analytical tools. This configuration is fully integrated with the laboratory information management system (LIMS) at Jessa Ziekenhuis, ensuring a seamless flow of data and consistency in workflow management. With this state-of-the-art system, the hospital aims to reduce its operational workload by 30-50%, cut overall costs by 25%, and expedite testing turnaround times significantly.

Collaborative Efforts and Future Prospects

Additionally, the SOPHiA DDM™ Dispatch function allows Jessa Ziekenhuis to share a NovaSeq sequencer with AZ Delta in Roeselare, Belgium. Both hospitals have made equivalent investments in the NovaSeq platform, fostering the creation of the Bridge Consortium. This collaborative network is designed to expedite sequencing services, optimize sequencing capacity utilization, and facilitate knowledge sharing between institutions.

Dr. Brigitte Maes, a clinical pathologist at Jessa Ziekenhuis, emphasized the hospital's dedication to innovation and its goal of providing advanced oncology care to patients. "Through our collaboration with SOPHiA GENETICS, we streamline and accelerate our NGS workflows, enabling us to generate molecular insights more rapidly and accurately. This, in turn, enhances both clinical decision-making and our research endeavors. It is a significant investment in personalized medicine and in the quality of care for Belgian cancer patients," Dr. Maes stated.

Kevin Puylaert, the EMEA Managing Director at SOPHiA GENETICS, remarked on the collaboration's significance, stating, "Our partnership with Jessa Ziekenhuis exemplifies how SOPHiA GENETICS aids large institutions in enhancing their genomic capabilities while ensuring optimal quality and efficiency. By providing a fully automated cloud-native solution tailored to their oncology needs, we empower Jessa Ziekenhuis to unify workflows, accelerate knowledge acquisition, and improve patient care throughout Belgium."

This partnership underscores SOPHiA GENETICS’s dedication to extending its influence in European healthcare networks, delivering scalable, decentralized, and data-focused precision medicine to institutions advancing patient care through cutting-edge genomics. For more insights and updates, SOPHiA GENETICS will be present at the European Congress of Pathology in Vienna, Austria, from September 6 to 9, 2025. Interested parties can learn more about SOPHiA GENETICS by visiting their website at SOPHiAGENETICS.COM or connecting with them on LinkedIn.

About SOPHiA GENETICS

SOPHiA GENETICS (Nasdaq: SOPH) is a pioneering cloud-native health technology company committed to enhancing access to data-driven medicine through artificial intelligence, ultimately delivering world-class care to patients with cancer and rare diseases globally. The company is behind SOPHiA DDM™, a platform analyzing complex genomic and multimodal data, generating actionable insights in real-time for a vast global network of hospitals, laboratories, and biopharmaceutical institutions.

Note: SOPHiA GENETICS’ products are exclusive for research and must not be used for diagnostic procedures unless specified otherwise.