Hackensack Meridian Health Partners with DELFI Diagnostics, supported by a grant from Lilly to Improve Lung Cancer Screening Adherence with Innovative Blood Test

Initiative funded by a Healthcare Improvement grant from Eli Lilly and Company aims to increase uptake of life-saving LDCT scans for high-risk individuals in line with guidance through the use of a minimally invasive blood test.

The Hackensack Meridian Hennessy Institute for Cancer Prevention and Applied Molecular Medicine, today announces a pioneering partnership with DELFI Diagnostics supported by a Healthcare Improvement grant from Lilly to improve lung-cancer screening adherence. The collaboration will evaluate whether a simple, non-invasive blood test can help more high-risk individuals follow through with recommended annual low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) scans.

The Hennessy Institute is part of the renowned Hackensack Meridian John Theurer Cancer Center—a member of the National Cancer Institute-designated Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University—and Hackensack University Medical Center.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, yet early detection dramatically improves survival.* The current standard for screening is a low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) scan, which is underutilized - fewer than 18% of eligible high-risk individuals complete their yearly screening.**

This new initiative aims to address that gap by evaluating the impact of FirstLook™ Lung, a blood-based test developed by DELFI Diagnostics, in routine care. It is designed to be the first step in detecting lung cancer early, when it is most treatable.

“This collaboration allows us to test an innovative approach—using a simple blood test to bridge the gap and motivate high-risk individuals to complete their recommended screenings. We believe this initiative has the potential to create a new paradigm for early detection, much like Cologuard did for colorectal cancer, ultimately leading to earlier diagnoses and more lives saved,” said Elias Obeid, MD, medical director of the Hennessy Institute.

“At Hackensack Meridian Health, we are committed to finding innovative ways to overcome barriers to early cancer detection and save more lives,” said Andre Goy, MD, physician-in-chief, vice president Oncology, Hackensack Meridian John Theurer Cancer Center. “This partnership represents a forward-thinking approach to a persistent public health challenge. By offering a simple blood test as a first step, we hope to encourage more at-risk patients to complete the full, recommended screening process.”

It is critical to note that FirstLook Lung is designed to supplement, not replace, the recommended annual LDCT scan, which remains the gold standard for lung cancer screening.

“We know from decades of research that lung cancer screening works—when people actually get screened. The problem isn't the science, it's access and adherence,” said Peter Bach, MD, Chief Medical Officer at DELFI Diagnostics. “FirstLook Lung offers a practical way forward by making that critical first step more accessible through a simple blood draw. This partnership with Hackensack Meridian Health will help us understand whether removing barriers to initial screening can move the needle on one of the most persistent challenges in cancer prevention—getting high-risk patients through the door for the LDCT scan that could save their lives.”

“The promise of precision medicine in cancer treatment has moved into earlier lines of therapy over the last few years. It is critical to identify patients with lung cancer as early into their disease process as possible so that they have access to innovative therapies and diagnostics to improve patient outcomes,” said Anthony “Nino” Sireci, MD, MSc, Sr. Vice President, Clinical Biomarkers, Laboratories and Diagnostics, Eli Lilly and Company. “Lilly is enthusiastic about this initiative to leverage minimally invasive methods to improve adherence to lung cancer screening and to diagnose patients much earlier in their disease.”