The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), part of City of Hope, today announced the launch of JAYseqTM, a clinical whole-genome sequencing (WGS) test specifically for multiple myeloma. Approximately 35,000 new cases of multiple myeloma are diagnosed annually in the U.S., making it the second-most common blood cancer.
The JAYseq test, developed and performed by TGen Clinical Laboratory, a CAP‑accredited lab founded by TGen, is intended for patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma, relapsed or refractory disease, or related plasma cell disorders.
Powered by TGen's proprietary ALTseq™ technology, JAYseq returns results in 72-hours that provide oncologists a comprehensive molecular map to guide personalized treatment strategies.
Multiple myeloma, a cancer of antibody producing plasma cells, has long been a challenge for genomic diagnostics due to the difficulty of isolating tumor cells from bone marrow. JAYseq overcomes these hurdles by utilizing advanced magnetic sorting for CD138+ cells and high-throughput sequencing. This allows for the simultaneous detection of genetic changes such as small mutations, insertions, deletions, copy number changes, translocations, and more complex rearrangements all at the same time using one test.
The launch of JAYseq represents a meaningful step in oncology testing, one that allows physicians to make a more precise treatment decision for patients facing one of the most complex blood cancers. By delivering a full genomic profile in under 72 hours, we are accelerating the diagnostic steps that have historically prevented timely intervention."
Jeffrey M. Trent, Ph.D., TGen President and Research Director
Unlike traditional tests such as FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization) or cytogenetics, which often require multiple, time-consuming steps to look at a fraction of the genome, JAYseq analyzes the entire 3 billion base pairs of a patient's DNA. This level of detail enables the identification of high‑risk markers and whether specific cell surface proteins targeted by advanced immunotherapies are present.
JAYseq, made possible through the philanthropic vision of Susie Nason and named in memory of her brother, Jay Hollingsworth, is built on the same trusted technology as the ALTseq platform, which was established by Lynda Carter Altman in memory of her husband, Robert Altman. Clinical studies using JAYseq have been supported by the Tom & Catherine Culley Family Trust and the Argyros Family Foundation.
"For the first time, JAYseq allows us to view the full genomic blueprint of each multiple myeloma tumor. This enables us to identify not only why a specific therapy might succeed, but also which mutations could cause it to fail," said Jonathan Keats, Ph.D., associate professor in TGen's Clinical Genomics and Therapeutics Division and scientific director of the Judy and Bernard Briskin Center for Multiple Myeloma Research at City of Hope. "This level of detail is essential for truly individualizing cancer care."
Despite recent advances in therapeutic development, patients can have dramatically different outcomes even when they receive the same treatment. JAYseq delivers a fast, comprehensive way to understand the genetic makeup of a patient's cancer at diagnosis or relapse, allowing for risk-adapted treatment approaches, usage of mutation specific therapies and assessment of immunotherapy (CAR T, bi-specific antibodies, or antibody-based therapies) target status to ensure patients get the right therapy at the right time.
"In the era of targeted therapies with multiple approved CAR T and bi-specific therapies it is essential that our decisions incorporate the unique features of each patients tumor" said Amrita Krishnan, M.D., the Nason-Hollingsworth Chair in Multiple Myeloma and executive medical director, Hematology, City of Hope Orange County and director of the Judy and Bernard Briskin Multiple Myeloma Center. "JAYseq provides the clarity and speed we've been missing, allowing us to tailor therapy with a level of precision that simply wasn't possible before."
Advocacy groups have long heard the same message from families facing multiple myeloma: the waiting is the hardest part. Waiting for answers. Waiting for test results. Waiting to know what comes next. JAYseq helps ease that burden by giving oncologists and patients clearer information, faster. It supports the advocacy community's ability to empower patients, advance care, and ensure access to the latest in precision medicine.
TGen's collaborations with the MMRF over the past 15 years on the MMRF's Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium Genomics Initiative and CoMMpassSM Study proved the value of whole genome sequencing in multiple myeloma and built the expertise needed to make personalized treatment a reality for patients.
"What we've built with TGen is a foundation of shared data, expertise, and purpose," said George Mulligan, Ph.D., chief scientific officer at the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, the largest nonprofit in the world solely focused on accelerating a cure for multiple myeloma. "The CoMMpass study produced some of the most comprehensive myeloma genomic data in the world, We are excited to see TGen continue to push the boundaries of precision medicine for myeloma patients."
With the launch of JAYseq, TGen and City of Hope take another step forward in using precision genomics to improve care for people with multiple myeloma by combining fast whole‑genome sequencing with deep experience in blood-based cancers.
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