GREATER SUDBURY, ON – A $1.1-million investment from the Ontario government through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation is accelerating groundbreaking cancer research and innovation taking place right here in Sudbury.
This important support, totalling $1,157,000 strengthens the work of Rna Diagnostics, a clinical-stage molecular diagnostics company operating its laboratory at Health Sciences North Research Institute (HSNRI), as it advances toward commercialization of its Veridapt DX test platform, reinforcing Northeastern Ontario’s growing leadership in health innovation.
Veridapt DX is designed to help oncologists determine early in treatment whether chemotherapy is effectively destroying a patient’s tumour. By measuring RNA disruption, a biological signal that indicates tumour response, physicians may be able to identify patients who are not responding to therapy and adjust care sooner, potentially reducing unnecessary side effects and improving outcomes.
“For patients, this is about avoiding unnecessary toxicity and getting to the right treatment faster,” said Dr. Amadeo Parissenti, Chief Scientific Officer of Rna Diagnostics, Senior Scientist at HSNRI and Professor at NOSM University and Laurentian University. “This funding allows us to continue advancing a technology that has the potential to meaningfully improve how cancer care is delivered.”
The technology is currently being evaluated through the international BREVITY (Breast Cancer Response Evaluation for Individualized Therapy) clinical trial, involving approximately 650 patients across 55 cancer centres in seven countries. While the study is global in scope, all laboratory testing is performed in Sudbury, underscoring the region’s role as a centre of excellence in molecular diagnostics.
“All samples are analyzed here in Northeastern Ontario,” said Parissenti. “This investment strengthens our local laboratory infrastructure, enhances automation and regulatory readiness, and ensures we are well positioned for broader adoption in Canada, the United States and Europe.”
The NOHFC investment requires matching private-sector funding, and Rna Diagnostics has secured more than $2 million from investors, including strong support from partners in Northern Ontario. The Northern Cancer Foundation has supported Parissenti’s research for more than 25 years and is also an investor in the company. The Foundation’s early and sustained support helped make the original discovery, and the development of this assay, possible.
“We are incredibly grateful to the Province of Ontario for its confidence in this work, and to the Northern Cancer Foundation and the many generous donors who believed in this research from the beginning,” said Parissenti. “Their sustained support over decades made this progress possible. What started as locally funded research is now a technology with global potential.”
Beyond improving patient care, the project is helping attract investment to the region, create and sustain highly skilled scientific and technical jobs, and demonstrate that globally relevant medical innovation can originate and scale from Northeastern Ontario.
“This investment from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation is a pivotal milestone for Rna Diagnostics and for the advancement of Veridapt DX,” said John Connolly, President and CEO of Rna Diagnostics. “It enables us to strengthen our laboratory operations in Sudbury, enhance automation and regulatory readiness, and prepare for commercial launch. We are proud that this innovation is being advanced in Northern Ontario, supported by strong public-private collaboration and by a community that continues to champion research and discovery.”
As the company prepares for the anticipated completion of the BREVITY Phase 2 trial, the funding will support laboratory expansion, accreditation and regulatory requirements necessary for broader market adoption.
For Northeastern Ontario, the message is clear: thanks to provincial leadership, community generosity and world-class research talent, transformative cancer innovation is not only happening here, it is being built here, strengthened here and positioned to benefit patients around the world.
“This investment speaks to the strength of research and innovation happening in Northeastern Ontario,” said David McNeil, President and CEO, HSN. “We are proud to support work that not only advances cancer care, but also builds local capacity, attracts investment and creates highly skilled jobs in our region. Thanks to the Province’s commitment and the longstanding support of our Foundation and donors, discoveries made here in Sudbury are making an impact far beyond our community.”