OncoCyte Establishes Medical Advisory Committee to Enhance Development Strategy for Lung Cancer Diagnostics
May 04 2017 - 7:00AM
OncoCyte Corporation (NYSE MKT:OCX), a developer of novel,
non-invasive blood-based tests to aid in the early detection of
cancer, today announced that a Medical Advisory Committee of lung
cancer specialists has been established to provide guidance to
OncoCyte’s senior management team on issues relating to lung cancer
diagnosis. The Committee is expected to provide advice in a
number of areas, including unmet clinical needs, the profiles of
patients that will benefit from diagnostic tests, and the role of
molecular diagnostics in clinical practice. The Committee will also
help to shape OncoCyte’s future pipeline products.
“Our Medical Advisory Committee is comprised of
recognized lung cancer experts and we look forward to leveraging
their unique perspectives as we plan the completion of development
and prepare for the launch of our first commercial product,”
commented William Annett, President and Chief Executive
Officer. “Additionally, as we look beyond this first test,
they will help shape our pipeline to continue to develop future
diagnostic tests that can address the complex unmet needs in lung
cancer.”
Members of the Committee include:
- Thomas L. Bauer, MD, is a Thoracic Surgery Specialist at
Meridian Health. Dr. Bauer brings a wealth of knowledge about
health economics and internal processes needed to establish
cost-effective lung screening/diagnostic/treatment program. Dr.
Bauer was also an associate professor of Surgery at Jefferson
Medical College in Philadelphia for 10 years.
- D. Kyle Hogarth, MD, is an Associate Professor of Medicine at
the University of Chicago. Dr. Hogarth also serves as the
Medical Director for the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program, Director
of Bronchoscopy and Minimally Invasive Diagnostics and Co-Director
of Upper Aerodigestive Cancer Risk Clinic. Dr. Hogarth has authored
many publications focused on clinical management of lung cancer and
his research interests include minimally invasive diagnosis,
management, and staging of lung cancer through bronchoscopy.
- Edward F. Patz Jr., MD, is a James and Alice Chen Professor of
Radiology, Professor in Pathology and in Pharmacology & Cancer
Biology at the Duke University School of Medicine. He is also a
Director of Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, which conducts
research to develop better ways to diagnose and treat lung cancer.
The laboratory has projects focused on early cancer detection with
imaging, developing new blood tests for the diagnosis of lung
cancer, and, more recently, has discovered a new potential
treatment for cancer using a human antibody that activates part of
the immune system to specifically kill tumor cells.
- Anil Vachani, MD, MS, is a pulmonologist and Director of the
Lung Nodule Program. Dr. Vachani also serves as an assistant
professor of Medicine at the Hospital of the University of
Pennsylvania and the Veteran’s Administration Medical Center. Dr.
Vachani has authored many publications focused on biomarkers in
lung cancer and his research interests include molecular
epidemiology of lung cancer and discovery and validation of early
detection biomarkers for thoracic malignancies.
“My involvement with OncoCyte’s lung cancer test
dates back to the initial work with The Wistar Institute so I am
very excited about the progress to date,” commented Dr.
Bauer. “The early vision of developing a non-invasive test to
rule out cancer is becoming a reality. As a physician, I welcome
the role of a molecular diagnostic as the new standard of care
because it can both improve health outcomes and reduce overall
screening costs. We make our best discoveries when we
know where to look. OncoCyte is helping to define which patients
warrant further investigation. This will maximize our detection of
early lung cancer and minimize unnecessary procedures.”
OncoCyte recently reported the successful
results of a study of its lung cancer diagnostic test, which were
consistent with the results of earlier studies by The Wistar
Institute of Anatomy and Biology. The key performance metrics of
this study will be presented at the American Thoracic Society
Meeting on May 22nd. The Company expects to receive
CLIA certification of its laboratory during the second quarter of
2017 and then to carry out CLIA and validation studies of its lung
cancer diagnostic test, which if successful will lead to the
commercial launching of the test in the second half of
2017.
About OncoCyte CorporationOncoCyte is primarily
focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of
novel, non-invasive blood and urine (“liquid biopsy”) diagnostic
tests for the early detection of cancer to improve health outcomes
through earlier diagnoses, to reduce the cost of care through the
avoidance of costly diagnostic procedures, including invasive
biopsy and cystoscopic procedures, and to improve the quality of
life for cancer patients. While current biopsy tests use invasive
surgical procedures to provide tissue samples in order to determine
if a tumor is benign or malignant, OncoCyte is developing a next
generation of diagnostic tests that will be based on liquid
biopsies using blood or urine samples. OncoCyte’s pipeline products
are intended to be confirmatory diagnostics for detecting lung,
bladder and breast cancer. OncoCyte’s diagnostic tests are being
developed using proprietary sets of genetic and protein markers
that differentially express in specific types of cancer.
Forward Looking StatementsAny
statements that are not historical fact (including, but not limited
to statements that contain words such as “will,” “believes,”
“plans,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “estimates” and similar
expressions) should also be considered to be forward-looking
statements. These statements include those pertaining to the
implementation and results of our validation studies and other
studies, commercialization plans, future financial and/or operating
results, future growth in research, technology, clinical
development, and potential opportunities for OncoCyte, along with
other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals,
plans, or prospects expressed by management. Forward-looking
statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without
limitation, risks inherent in the development and/or
commercialization of potential diagnostic tests or products,
uncertainty in the results of clinical trials or regulatory
approvals, the need and ability to obtain future capital,
maintenance of intellectual property rights, and the need to obtain
third party reimbursement for patients’ use of any diagnostic tests
we commercialize. Actual results may differ materially from the
results anticipated in these forward-looking statements and as such
should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that
affect the business of OncoCyte, particularly those mentioned in
the “Risk Factors” and other cautionary statements found in
OncoCyte’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings. OncoCyte
disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking
statements, except as required by law.
Investor Contact:
EVC Group, Inc.
Michael Polyviou
646-445-4800
mpolyviou@evcgroup.com
Financial Media Contact:
Thomas Gibson
201-476-0322
tom@tomgibsoncommunications.com