Tempus Announces New Study in JCO Precision Oncology Validating PurIST® Algorithm for Enhanced Therapy Selection in Pancreatic Cancer
Real-world evidence demonstrates PurIST’s ability to guide first-line treatment decisions and improve outcomes for patients with advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC)
CHICAGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Tempus AI, Inc. (NASDAQ: TEM), a technology company leading the adoption of AI to advance precision medicine, today announced the publication of a study in JCO Precision Oncology validating the clinical utility of the company’s PurIST® algorithmic diagnostic. The study provides the largest real-world evidence to date supporting the integration of PurIST into routine clinical care for patients with advanced PDAC, with the aim of informing first-line chemotherapy selection and improving patient outcomes.
Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most lethal malignancies, with limited therapeutic options and a five-year survival rate of just 12%. For patients with advanced, unresectable PDAC, the two most common first-line chemotherapy regimens, FOLFIRINOX (FFX) and gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel (GnP), have shown variable efficacy, and clinicians have lacked robust biomarkers to guide optimal therapy selection. To address this challenge, Tempus collaborated with GeneCentric to develop and deploy PurIST, a clinically validated, RNA-based algorithm test that classifies PDAC tumors as either “classical” or “basal” subtypes.
The Tempus-led study analyzed a real-world cohort of 931 patients with advanced PDAC, using the Tempus xR RNA sequencing platform to assign PurIST subtypes. Patients were treated with either first-line FFX or GnP, and clinical outcomes were assessed according to PurIST classification. The study’s findings establish PurIST as both a prognostic and predictive biomarker, enabling clinicians to personalize first-line therapy for advanced PDAC patients and maximize the likelihood of improved survival.
- Prognostic Value: Among patients treated with FFX (N=536), those with the classical subtype had a significantly longer median overall survival (OS) of 11.8 months, compared to 7.0 months for basal subtype patients (Hazard Ratio [HR]=1.86; p<0.001).
- Predictive Value: In patients with the classical subtype and good performance status (ECOG 0 or 1, N=311), treatment with FFX was associated with a 33% relative risk reduction in death compared to GnP (HR=0.67; p<0.009). No comparable benefit was observed in basal subtype patients.
“Pancreatic cancer is a challenging disease, and the ability to match patients to the most effective first-line therapy is critical. Prior research has suggested that certain molecular subtypes are associated with distinct prognoses and responses to therapy, but until now, large-scale real-world validation in a clinical setting has been lacking,” said Ezra Cohen, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Oncology. “Our study demonstrates that PurIST subtyping enables a biomarker-driven approach to therapy selection, addressing a major unmet need in the management of pancreatic cancer.”
“PurIST is a step forward for pancreatic cancer molecular testing, giving healthcare providers a new tool to better inform personalized treatment options for this devastating disease,” said Michael Milburn, PhD, President and CEO of GeneCentric and co-author on the publication. “GeneCentric’s collaboration with Tempus allowed us to validate the algorithm leveraging the power of Tempus’ multimodal data to rapidly deliver a much-needed test for patients with PDAC.”
About Tempus
Tempus is a technology company advancing precision medicine through the practical application of artificial intelligence in healthcare. With one of the world’s largest libraries of multimodal data, and an operating system to make that data accessible and useful, Tempus provides AI-enabled precision medicine solutions to physicians to deliver personalized patient care and in parallel facilitates discovery, development and delivery of optimal therapeutics. The goal is for each patient to benefit from the treatment of others who came before by providing physicians with tools that learn as the company gathers more data. For more information, visit tempus.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, about Tempus and Tempus’ industry that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release are forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements regarding the potential impact of PurIST and other tests, the indicated use of PurIST and other tests for clinical use, and the timing of the availability of such testing. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “going to,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” or “would” or the negative of these words or other similar terms or expressions. Tempus cautions you that the foregoing may not include all of the forward-looking statements made in this press release.
You should not rely on forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Tempus has based the forward-looking statements contained in this press release primarily on its current expectations and projections about future events and trends that it believes may affect Tempus’ business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties related to: Tempus’ financial performance; the ability to attract and retain customers and partners; managing Tempus’ growth and future expenses; competition and new market entrants; compliance with new laws, regulations and executive actions, including any evolving regulations in the artificial intelligence space; the ability to maintain, protect and enhance Tempus’ intellectual property; the ability to attract and retain qualified team members and key personnel; the ability to repay or refinance outstanding debt, or to access additional financing; future acquisitions, divestitures or investments; the potential adverse impact of climate change, natural disasters, health epidemics, macroeconomic conditions, and war or other armed conflict, as well as risks, uncertainties, and other factors described in the section titled “Risk Factors” in Tempus’ Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on February 24, 2025, as well as in other filings Tempus may make with the SEC in the future.. In addition, any forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on assumptions that Tempus believes to be reasonable as of this date. Tempus undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.
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Hanah Heintzelman
[email protected]
KEYWORDS: United States North America Illinois
INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Software Pharmaceutical Oncology Health Artificial Intelligence Data Management Health Technology Technology
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