Benzinga | Oct 1, 2020 08:13AM EDT

Biocept To Present Study Results From Target Selector Testing In Cerebrospinal Fluid of Patients with Lung Cancer at the IASLC Liquid Biopsy Meeting

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 upcoming presentation of results from a prospective study using its Target Selector(tm) testing of the cerebrospinal fluid in patients with non-small lung cancer (NSCLC). The study results will be discussed in a poster presentation at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) Virtual Lung Cancer Hot Topic Meeting: Liquid Biopsy by David Berz, MD, PhD, MPH of the Beverly Hills Cancer Center, on October 2 from 2:30-3:30 p.m. Eastern time.



Central nervous system involvement by metastasis occurs in 3% to 4% of patients with NSCLC and 9% of NSCLC patients with EGFR mutations. Involvement of the lepto-meninges, thin membranous connective tissue layers with blood vessels that surround the brain and spinal cord, accounts for deteriorating neurologic function, mental status changes and poor prognosis in these patients, but can be difficult to diagnose with current methods.

This prospective study evaluated results from Biocept's combined circulating tumor cell (CTC) and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) liquid biopsy testing compared to conventional cytology examination, the current standard-of-care, for confirming the diagnosis of leptomeningeal metastases in patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC undergoing treatment with Tesevatinib, an experimental EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (NCT02616393).

"Testing the cerebrospinal fluid of patients for metastases to the central nervous system is a key component of our oncology testing business," said Michael Nall, President and CEO of Biocept. "We are excited that Dr. Berz, a national thought leader in lung malignancies and personalized oncology treatment, will present these results at the IASLC conference which features the latest developments in cancer treatment including liquid biopsy clinical utility."