Blood test to aid cancer treatment and recurrence monitoring now available from a German lab for potentially faster results
HAMBURG, Germany, Oct. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- MVZ HPH Institute for Pathology and Hematopathology GmbH, today announced the availability of HPH MRD, a new tumor-informed circulating-tumor DNA (ctDNA) blood test for detecting minimal residual disease (MRD) in patients diagnosed with solid tumor cancers. The HPH MRD test is an in-house test manufactured by HPH that makes use of Haystack MRD technology and is available through a license from Haystack Oncology, a subsidiary of Quest Diagnostics® (NYSE: DGX), which developed and provides the Haystack MRD in-house developed test in the United States. The technology was purpose-built to detect ultralow levels of ctDNA with exceptional sensitivity and specificity, enabling the reliable identification of residual or recurrent disease.
HPH MRD testing will be performed in the company's laboratories in Hamburg, Germany, providing clinicians with potential access to next-generation MRD testing. Local availability will help ensure improved clinical implementation and timely delivery of results. All testing and data will remain with HPH in Germany, facilitating compliance with data protection and regulatory standards while supporting access. The HPH MRD test leverages whole-genome sequencing to analyze a patient's tumor tissue and design individualized patient panels, potentially providing greater insight into ctDNA levels than conventional methods.
"At HPH, our mission is to provide patients and clinicians with the highest quality diagnostic tools to guide personalized cancer care," said Prof. Markus Tiemann, CEO, MVZ HPH Institute for Pathology and Hematopathology GmbH. "By licensing Haystack's groundbreaking MRD technology to develop our own test in our local Hamburg laboratory, we can now offer our patients access to testing that was previously only available abroad, with potentially faster results".
ctDNA MRD testing is rapidly transforming cancer care by detecting molecular evidence of disease and providing insights that often remain undetectable with standard imaging methods. Cancer treatment typically involves surgery followed by chemotherapy or other therapies; however, tiny amounts of cancer can sometimes persist and lead to disease recurrence. By identifying tumor-derived DNA fragments in the bloodstream, ctDNA MRD testing may enable earlier and more accurate detection of residual or recurrent disease-empowering clinicians to make timely, evidence-based treatment decisions with confidence.
"Patients and physicians in Europe have lacked convenient access to the most sensitive MRD technologies, with samples often needing to be shipped internationally," said Dan Edelstein, Vice President & General Manager and a co-founder of Haystack Oncology. "Our licensing agreement with HPH is an important step toward making next-generation MRD testing part of routine care beyond the U.S."
About MVZ HPH Institute for Pathology and Hematopathology
MVZ HPH Institute for Pathology and Hematopathology was founded as a partnership in October 2004 and specializes in the diagnosis of solid tumors and hematopathological diseases. Our expertise lies in the differentiated diagnosis of solid tumors, molecular pathology, leukemias, and lymphomas. For diagnostics, we utilize a broad range of methods, including conventional histology, immunohistochemistry, immunophenotyping, and NGS. Our molecular diagnostics also extend to the analysis of solid tumors, enabling personalized therapy in these cases. With clear diagnoses, we help clinically active hematologists and oncologists make sound treatment decisions. We are all committed to the service philosophy and are always available to support colleagues and patients with our expertise.
For more information send an email to: mrd@hp-hamburg.de
www.haematopathologie-hamburg.de
About Haystack Oncology
Haystack Oncology represents the culmination of over 20 years of collaboration to advance technical and clinical development in liquid biopsy technologies by cancer genomics pioneers at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. The company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Quest Diagnostics, developed Haystack MRD, a tumor-informed, next-generation MRD test that detects ultralow levels of ctDNA to uncover residual or recurrent disease with exceptional sensitivity and specificity. Haystack Oncology works with biopharmaceutical companies to accelerate and inform clinical development programs and advance important therapeutics to global markets, from early phase clinical development to companion diagnostics. Haystack MRD was developed and validated in a CLIA-certified laboratory and is available for commercial use as a lab-developed test (LDT) by Quest Diagnostics. Haystack MRD is also available for clinical trials as an investigational device by Haystack Oncology in laboratories located in Baltimore, Maryland; Hamburg, Germany; and Helsinki, Finland. www.haystackmrd.com
About Quest Diagnostics
Quest Diagnostics works across the healthcare ecosystem to create a healthier world, one life at a time. We provide diagnostic insights from the results of our laboratory testing to empower people, physicians and organizations to take action to improve health outcomes. Derived from one of the world's largest databases of deidentified clinical lab results, diagnostic insights provided by Quest reveal new avenues to identify and treat disease, inspire healthy behaviors and improve healthcare management. Quest Diagnostics annually serves one in three adult Americans and half the physicians and hospitals in the United States, and over 55,000 employees understand that, in the right hands and with the right context, our diagnostic insights can inspire actions that transform lives and create a healthier world. www.QuestDiagnostics.com.
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