Benzinga | Sep 29, 2021 01:28PM EDT

Biocept: A New Diagnostic Approach to Improve the Lives of Cancer Patients

Battling cancer is often a long journey--and one that becomes even more challenging for the large number of patients who find that the cancer may have spread to their brain or spinal cord.

Between 10% and 30% of cancer patients, and a much higher percentage of late-stage cancer patients will develop brain or spinal cord metastasis. There are an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 brain metastases annually in the U.S. alone. The top two cancers involved in brain metastases are lung (50%) and breast (15%). Overall survival rates are low, and many patients are not diagnosed early enough to allow time for effective treatment. However, newer targeted therapies may extend survival for a year or more, resolving symptoms and substantially improving quality of life.

Patients who have been previously treated for lung cancer, breast cancer, or melanoma, among others, may have systemic control of their disease yet ominously present with vague neurologic symptoms or radiologic features of suspected CNS involvement as the sole remaining evidence of cancer.A Different Approach

Biocept (NASDAQ:BIOC) is one of the only liquid biopsy companies focused on cerebrospinal fluid rather than blood. The company's core technology looks at tumor cells in the cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF, as well as what's known as tumor-derived cell-free DNA, or tumor DNA. Biocept found that this combined approach is most informative, particularly when tumors have spread to the central nervous system.

Though originally used in tissue and blood, Biocept realized--serendipitously during a pharmaceutical trial--that its proprietary technology is highly effective at analyzing CSF to identify cancer that has metastasized to the brain and spinal cord. The principal investigator for the trial said, "You guys don't know what you have. What your test provides is something I can't get anywhere else." This discovery led Biocept to validate and launch its CNSide(tm) assay.

CNSide is based on Biocept's quantitative tumor cell capture and detection method, paired with assays to identify actionable molecular treatment targets. It also uses a proprietary sample collection tube, which preserves and stabilizes CSF tumor cells and genetic content 3-4 days longer than traditional methods.Addressing Unmet Clinical Needs

CNSide addresses a high unmet clinical need, as metastatic brain cancer is extremely difficult to accurately diagnose using traditional tools and approaches. CNSide offers significant advantages over the current standard of care and answers three primary clinical questions for physicians: * Is there a tumor involving the central nervous system?

* Is there a target or a biomarker that can be used for therapy selection?

* Is there a trend? Are we seeing a measurable response to therapy over time that can info either the continuation or the discontinuation of the treatment?

The ability to utilize CNSide, combined with newer therapies that target specific cancer mutations, provides physicians with increased ability to help patients who have limited options and no time to waste.Getting to Know Biocept

Initial acceptance by neuro-oncology thought-leaders is highly encouraging, as physicians from more than two dozen leading academic institutions have ordered CNSide--with many becoming repeat users. These physicians have observed marked reductions in tumor cell counts in patients treated with targeted therapies, with corresponding improvements in symptoms and survival times.

Neuro-oncology is a large and growing market for Biocept. The total market is estimated at about $1 billion annually in the U.S., including diagnosis, therapy selection, treatment response, and disease monitoring. As a result, CNSide represents a significant advance in the care of patients with brain metastases--and in the evolution of the Biocept.

Learn more about this exciting breakthrough medical advancement by attending the free Benzinga Healthcare SmallCAP Conference on Sept. 29 and 30. There you can connect with a select group of small-cap healthcare companies in a virtual setting, including Biocept and others such as NanoViricides Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN: NNVC), Statera Biopharma Inc. (NASDAQ:STAB), Avalon GloboCare Corp. (NASDAQ:AVCO), Salarius Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:SLRX) and more. Meet the president and CEO of Biocept, Michael Nall, at 2:20 p.m. Sept. 30, where he'll share information that you need to know about the company. Time is running out, so grab your seat today.