Who benefits from the Vault
The Virchow Vault™ Liquid Specimen Biorepository is a new kind of biobank
The Virchow Vault does not compete with other biobanks. It exists to store liquid specimens generated by the Crow’s Nest® Biopsy Catchment System (as well as from the Cell Wrangler™ and MOOS™ in the future). Virchow Medical creates these simple proprietary devices, which generate liquid specimens from what would have been medical waste.
These pharma R&D personnel (translational scientists, molecular pathologists, and data scientists) pursue specimens containing rare oncogenic alterations—for example, NRG1 fusions in pancreatic adenocarcinoma—because these specimens are the physical proof of the patient subgroups that could benefit from a new drug.
They’re used for:
- Validating biomarkers that identify drug-responsive patients.
- Developing companion diagnostics (CDx) that regulators require for targeted therapy approvals.
- Building preclinical models (cell lines, organoids, PDXs) that mirror human tumors.
We believe that every specimen that contains a rare mutation is a potential bridge between a patient’s tissue and a pharma company’s next biomarker-defined therapy.
Seven Principles of the Vault
The Virchow Vault is a critical tool for these data scientists to make informed predictions and decisions. Because of our proprietary technology, the Vault offers more specimens with rare mutations samples and provides richer data than standard biobanks. Vault users can apply algorithms to explore mutational patterns, multi-omic correlations, and predictive insights into disease progression and treatment response.
When a biopharma researcher or CRO is interested in a particular disease state, the Vault offers a way to obtain liquid specimens of rare mutations that correspond to that disease. R&D staff and data scientists are often interested in obtaining specimens of rare mutations that correspond to particular cancer types, along with the meta-data (the patient’s course of therapy to date, and what therapy their tumor did or did not respond to).
When a biopharma researcher or CRO is interested in a particular disease state, the Vault offers a way to obtain liquid specimens of rare mutations that correspond to that disease. R&D staff and data scientists are often interested in obtaining specimens of rare mutations that correspond to particular cancer types, along with the meta-data (the patient’s course of therapy to date, and what therapy their tumor did or did not respond to).
No longer will your patient’s treatment be delayed because there isn’t enough tissue for your pathology lab or a third party to test. Simply log in with a de-identified patient record locator to see their available Vault specimens, select needed tests or panels, and click Order.
Well beyond traditional molecular tumor profiling and NGS, Virchow Vault specimens support multi-omic assays (DNA, RNA, proteomics, metabolomics) as well as emerging translational and clinical research needs.
When an oncologist (or other clinical stakeholder) orders a test, the relevant material from a patient’s specimen is routed to a third-party CLIA-certified lab for execution. DNA and RNA material are currently available, with cell fractions generated by MOOS and the Cell Wrangler to come.
Hospital Administrators reduce costly, laborious second biopsy procedures
Hospitals and patients alike lose valuable time and resources when a second biopsy is needed. As a biorepository of liquid specimens, The Virchow Vault offers participating hospital administrators the “insurance policy” of safely storing additional samples, available for testing on demand.
Uniform protocols enable easy biobanking and transport, and specimens remain accessible to the healthcare system for a defined tenure (e.g., 18 months) as an “insurance” mechanism to prevent un-reimbursed repeat biopsies. Afterward, the Vault retains possession unless otherwise specified by the institution.
- Specimens Sourced Only from What Would Have Been Waste: Populated only by biological specimens that would otherwise be discarded as medical waste, the Vault is created without risk to patients and with minimal burden on providers.
- Collection Devices Do Not Obstruct or Change Clinical Workflows: Collection and preservation are accomplished through three proprietary, patent-pending devices — the Crow’s Nest®, the Cell WranglerTM, and the MOOSTM — provided by Virchow Medical to Virchow Vault users
- Create Downstream Utility for Longitudinal Diagnostic Benefits: Provides a menu of downstream applications that extends beyond traditional molecular tumor profiling and NGS. Specimens support multi-omic assays (DNA, RNA, proteomics, metabolomics) as well as emerging translational and clinical research needs.
- Make Molecular Testing Simple, Available, and Easy to Order: When an oncologist (or other clinical stakeholder) orders a test, the relevant material from a patient’s specimen is routed to a third-party CLIA-certified lab for execution. Material available includes DNA and RNA, and in the future other cell fractions generated by MOOS and Cell Wrangler.
- Maintain Tenure of Each Liquid Specimen in Inventory: Specimens remain accessible to the healthcare system for at least 18 months as an “insurance” mechanism to avoid the need for un-reimbursed repeat biopsies.
- Pay it Forward to Benefit Future Cancer Patients with Research & Development Access: Provides pharma, biotech, and diagnostics partners with a catalogue of available specimens and associated mutational or multi-omic attributes. Access extends beyond rare cancer-causing mutations to broader use cases in drug development, biomarker discovery, and companion diagnostic validation to empower future targeted therapy.
- Enable a Multi-Omic Future with Data Analytics: Allow aggregate data to be used to discover mutational patterns, multi-omic correlations, and predictive insights into disease progression and treatment response as a tool for biopharma research.
Research & Development partners can screen promising drug candidates
This goes to the heart of translational precision oncology and why biobanks and new tissue-capture sources are strategically valuable to pharma R&D groups.
Pharmaceutical companies don’t complete development on a promising drug candidate until it has been screened against certain rare genetic mutations. They, along with biotechnology and diagnostics partners, rely on multi-omic datasets to discover biomarkers, develop therapies, and validate technology.
Vault value for stakeholders in cancer therapy
The Virchow Vault means:
- More options for oncologists to order genomic testing on the tumors of their patients who have been biopsied.
- An “insurance policy” to reduce the incidence of 2nd biopsy procedures for hospital administrators
- A rich supply of research-consented samples and data for clinical research organizations and pharma companies invested in cancer therapy outcomes.
Oncologists have more options to order genomic testing on their patients’ tumors.
