Biocept is a molecular diagnostics company with commercialized assays for lung, breast, gastric, colorectal and prostate cancers, and melanoma
Study shows Biocept's assays are viable and sensitive. (Credit: PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay.)
Biocept, Inc. (Nasdaq: BIOC), a leading commercial provider of molecular diagnostic assays, products and services designed to provide physicians with clinically actionable information to improve patient outcomes, announces the results of a study analyzing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples in patients with primary lung or breast cancer with either brain or leptomeningeal disease. The findings indicate that Target Selector™ CSF assays are a viable and sensitive platform for circulating tumor cell (CTC) detection and molecular analysis compared to the current standard of care, CSF cytology, which is typically used to establish or confirm leptomeningeal disease when imaging findings are suspicious or equivocal. CSF cytology has limited sensitivity and provides no additional information needed for target therapy choice.
The results were discussed yesterday in a poster presentation by Santosh Kesari, MD, PhD, Chair and Professor, Department of Translational Neurosciences, Director of Neuro-oncology at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute and John Wayne Cancer Institute, at the Society for Neuro-Oncology’s SNO2020 Virtual Conference on November 19, 2020.
“Once a tumor has metastasized to the brain, CTCs and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) can be found in the cerebrospinal fluid,” said Dr. Kesari. “This prospective study compared the sensitivity of CTC detection and molecular analysis of Biocept’s Target Selector™ CSF assays to cytology (microscopic examination of conventional CSF cytology slide preps). This study highlights the potential of CSF-based diagnostics for longitudinal monitoring cancers in the central nervous system.”
“Our Target Selector™ testing is a minimally invasive, cost-effective strategy to simultaneously confirm metastasis to the brain, while also assessing cancer biomarkers in order to qualify a patient for potential targeted therapy options,” said Michael Nall, President and CEO of Biocept. “Identifying CTCs and actionable biomarkers with Target Selector™ can help to confirm and monitor central nervous system involvement when clinically suspected, without the risk of complications associated with surgical biopsies, which are often impossible in these cases.
“This the second major scientific conference in less than two months to accept study results from Target Selector™ testing in cerebrospinal fluid for presentation,” added Mr. Nall. “We view neuro-oncology as an area where our technology is uniquely suited to answer questions posed by treating physicians, and we are appreciative of the Society of Neuro-Oncology’s recognition of our Target Selector™ testing.”
Source: Company Press Release