PRESS RELEASE

11.17.2014

Epic Sciences to present data on a combination CTC and CFDNA assay for molecular targets of non-small cell lung cancer therapies at the 26th EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium.

Epic Sciences will present data describing the detection of clinically actionable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) biomarkers, including EGFR, KRAS, ALK, MET, RET and ROS1, utilizing both circulating tumor cells (CTC) and circulating free DNA (cfDNA) from a single tube of blood. The poster presentation will take place on November 20 at the 26th EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in Barcelona.

“Today, tumor biopsies are often tested for alterations to EGFR, KRAS and ALK, but accessing enough biopsy material from lung cancer patients is especially difficult,” said Murali Prahalad, Ph.D., president and CEO of Epic Sciences. “The power of Epic’s CTC technology is that we can assess, in one assay, clinically actionable NSCLC biomarkers from a single tube of blood and provide in-depth characterization of both CTCs and cfDNA.”

Large majorities, roughly 85 to 90 percent, of lung cancers are non-small cell lung cancer. There are three main subtypes of NSCLC. The cells in these subtypes differ in size, shape and chemical make-up when looked at under a microscope.

“Patients with non-small cell lung cancer are matched to a targeted therapy based on an understanding of the genetic and proteomic NSCLC biomarkers, which are recognized as drivers of disease progression,” said Ryan Dittamore, vice president, marketing and translational research of Epic Sciences. “With Epic’s new combination CTC and cfDNA assay, we have a testing schema which harnesses the power of single CTC analytics and cfDNA with utility for patient selection in clinical trials for new targeted therapeutics from a simple blood sample.”

This technology is being examined by top cancer centers across the United States. Moffitt Cancer Center is one of the trial sites.

“This is an exciting era for our patients with NSCLC. The combination of CTC along with cfDNA molecular analyses via a ‘liquid biopsy’ holds the promise of minimizing the need for the serial, more invasive tumor biopsies while providing information that can affect the decision-making treatment algorithms for our patients in real time,” said Jhanelle Gray, M.D., thoracic medical oncologist at Moffitt.

Details of the presentation is as follows:

  • Date/Time: Thursday, Nov. 20, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. CET
  • Title: Characterization of molecular targets of therapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) utilizing a liquid biopsy
  • Presenter: R. Dittamore

About Epic Sciences

At Epic Sciences, we develop clinically proven predictive tests to detect and monitor cancer at the individual cell level. With a proprietary rare-cell detection engine, we provide insights to clinical, biotech, pharmaceutical and academic teams on how cancer emerges, mutates and remits so they can make pivotal decisions at every point in patient treatment with greater certainty. Recognizing the unique nature of each person’s cancer, we offer truly personalized diagnostic tests, while being non-invasive for the patient.

We have developed the first clinically proven predictive test for metastatic castration-resistant prostrate cancer (mCRPC), the Epic AR-V7 test. Using the same rare-cell detection platform and Epic’s biobank of over 30,000 blood samples, each profiled with predictive biomarkers, we partner with leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, major cancer centers, the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to pursue additional predictive tests for breast, ovarian, colon and other cancers and diseases. Our mission is to revolutionize cancer care and therapies to make them as precise, safe and life-sustaining as humanly possible.

For more information, visit epicsciences.com.

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Epic Sciences Media Contact: Jessica Yingling, Ph.D., Little Dog Communications Inc., jessica@litldog.com,+1.858.344.8091