Owlstone Medical Wins $49.1M ARPA-H Award for At-Home Multi-Cancer Detection
POSEIDON program aims to make low-cost, over-the-counter screening for 30+ cancers a reality across the U.S.
Owlstone Medical, a global leader in Breath Biopsy® and early disease detection, has been awarded up to $49.1 million by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to spearhead an ambitious effort to transform how cancer is detected.
The initiative, known as POSEIDON (Platform Optimizing SynBio for Early Intervention and Detection in Oncology), will develop the world’s first synthetic-sensor-based multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test capable of identifying more than 30 solid tumor types at Stage I, using only breath and urine samples collected at home.
The program brings together a powerful consortium including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Boston University, Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Qurin B.V., and Planned Systems International Inc.
Revolutionizing Cancer Screening
Nearly 40% of Americans will face cancer in their lifetime, yet early-stage detection, when the disease is most treatable, remains a major challenge. Current screening methods are limited to a few cancer types, and many Americans lack access to clinic-based programs.
Owlstone’s POSEIDON project aims to change that. The team will use inhaled synthetic sensors that travel through the body and interact specifically with cancer cells, releasing unique DNA or volatile organic compound (VOC) reporters that can be measured from simple urine and breath samples.
These samples will be collected using portable, user-friendly devices, either at home or in clinical settings. The results can then be transmitted directly to electronic health records (EHRs), providing clinicians with real-time data and enabling seamless integration into digital health systems.
This at-home approach offers multiple advantages:
Stage I detection of 30+ solid tumors with high accuracy
Non-invasive collection via breath and urine
Low-cost manufacturing and deployment, making nationwide access feasible
Rapid digital reporting to healthcare professionals
If successful, POSEIDON could dramatically reduce late-stage cancer diagnoses, improving survival rates and potentially saving the U.S. economy up to $2.3 trillion in treatment costs and productivity losses.
A Bold Vision for Accessible Cancer Care
“The field of cancer screening needs a revolution, and POSEIDON stands ready to deliver,” said Ross Uhrich, DMD, MBA, POSEIDON Program Manager at ARPA-H. “This program will create accurate, at-home tests for over 30 cancers—empowering Americans to detect disease early, long before symptoms appear.”
Billy Boyle, co-founder and CEO of Owlstone Medical, emphasized the significance of the award:
“Access to an accurate, low-cost MCED test that doesn’t require a doctor’s visit or laboratory testing is key to preventing late-stage diagnoses,” Boyle said. “This award validates both breath as a diagnostic approach and Owlstone’s EVOC® probes as a breakthrough technology to overcome the limitations that have held back early cancer detection.”
What this means
Owlstone’s Breath Biopsy® platform has already attracted global attention for its ability to detect disease biomarkers in exhaled breath. With ARPA-H’s support, the company is now positioned to expand its reach, building a nationwide, accessible, at-home cancer screening solution designed for scale, equity, and impact.
If POSEIDON achieves its goals, Americans could soon have access to an over-the-counter, first-in-class multi-cancer test capable of saving millions of lives through earlier diagnosis and treatment.
Author
BioFocus Newsroom