SAN DIEGO, May 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Biocept, Inc.
(NASDAQ: BIOC), a leading commercial provider of molecular
technologies designed to provide physicians with clinically
actionable information to improve the outcomes of patients
diagnosed with cancer, announces the availability of a Target
Selector™ molecular assay research-use-only (RUO) kit for the
detection of BRAF mutations. Biocept's molecular assay kits offer
superior sensitivity compared with next generation sequencing (NGS)
panels for the detection of biomarkers of key oncogene mutations
from a blood sample.
Biocept's Target Selector™ molecular assay kits detect key
oncogene mutations through the analysis of both Formalin-Fixed
Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) tissue gained from surgical biopsies as
well as circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) gained from blood-based
liquid biopsies. The BRAF molecular assay kit is designed for the
BRAF mutation, which is among the most frequently evaluated
biomarkers across many solid tumor cancers, including lung cancer
and melanoma. Biocept previously launched its molecular assay
kit for the detection of EGFR mutations and plans to release
additional Target Selector™ molecular assay kits in the future.
Biocept's Target Selector™ platform utilizes the Company's
patented Switch-Blocker technology to enrich the specimen for
mutations of interest, resulting in ultra-high assay sensitivity
and specificity compared to other methods currently used in most
laboratories such as standard RT-PCR or NGS. Biocept's Target
Selector™ assay technology is patent protected in the United States, seven countries in
Europe and five international
territories.
"In NGS and many other molecular technology platforms, most of
the cost of running an assay is due to analyzing the non-mutated
gene of interest, so called 'wild type' or normal DNA," said
Michael Nall, President and CEO of
Biocept. "Our patented Switch-Blocker technology provides the
unique ability to block the normal DNA and only analyze the target
area of interest. Eliminating the cost related to analyzing the
wild type DNA makes running a Switch-Blocker-based assay
significantly more cost effective. In the case of NGS panels the
costs related to analysis of wild type DNA is compounded, because
in these panels approximately 70% or more of the genes are not
currently clinically actionable.
"In international healthcare systems, access to advanced
molecular testing for cancer patients can be limited because of
cost issues, especially in developing countries," he added.
"Therefore, we believe that Target Selector™ molecular assay kits,
which offer the combination of a focus on clinically actionable
genes, are cost-efficient to run and provide high analytical
performance, will be an especially competitive offering."
About Biocept's Target Selector™ ctDNA Assay Kits
Biocept's Target Selector™ molecular assay kits can enable
molecular laboratories around the world to detect key oncogene
mutations through the analysis of both Formalin-Fixed
Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) tissue gained from surgical biopsies as
well as ctDNA gained from blood-based liquid biopsies.
Target Selector™ molecular assay kits utilize Biocept's
proprietary and patented Switch-Blocker technology to enable
industry-leading sensitivity for the detection of
mutations/variants of interest in ctDNA (one mutant copy in 10,000
wildtype DNA).
Due to its industry-leading sensitivity and the ability to block
DNA amplification from normal cells, we believe Target Selector™
should allow laboratories to eliminate macro-dissection of tumor
blocks, which can result in major workflow improvements and cost
savings in the pathology laboratory. Target Selector™ assays can
also provide results with small DNA inputs, compared to most
tissue-based assays, thus allowing the laboratory to get results
even with small amounts of tissue.
The Target Selector™ assays can be used in combination with a
variety of low-cost analytical platforms including qPCR,
Sanger sequencing, microarrays,
and mass-spectrometry, in addition to next generation
sequencing. Target Selector™ kits offer high content per
assay, which can reduce costs by selectively amplifying multiple
mutations/variants in hot-spot regions of interest in a single
reaction. All Target Selector™ assays are quantitative.
For more information on Biocept's Target Selector™ liquid biopsy
kits, or to order Assay Kits, please contact Biocept Customer
Service at (888) 332-7729 or go to customerservice@biocept.com.
About Biocept
Biocept, Inc. is a molecular diagnostics
company with commercialized assays for lung, breast, gastric,
colorectal and prostate cancers, and melanoma. The Company uses its
proprietary liquid biopsy technology to provide physicians with
clinically actionable information for treating and monitoring
patients diagnosed with cancer. The Company's patented Target
Selector™ liquid biopsy technology platform captures and analyzes
tumor-associated molecular markers in both circulating tumor cells
(CTCs) and in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). With thousands of
tests performed, the platform has demonstrated the ability to
identify cancer mutations and alterations to inform physicians
about a patient's disease and therapeutic options. For additional
information, please visit www.biocept.com.
Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer Statement
This
release contains forward-looking statements that are based upon
current expectations or beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions
about future events. Although we believe that the expectations
reflected in the forward-looking statements and the assumptions
upon which they are based are reasonable, we can give no assurance
that such expectations and assumptions will prove to have been
correct. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by
the use of words like "may," "will," "should," "could," "expect,"
"anticipate," "estimate," "believe," "intend," or "project" or the
negative of these words or other variations on these words or
comparable terminology. To the extent that statements in this
release are not strictly historical, including without limitation
statements as to our ability to improve the outcomes of patients
diagnosed with cancer, our ability to launch additional RUO test
kits for other oncogene mutations in the future, the market
opportunity for our Target Selector™ kits, the ability of our
Target Selector™ kits to offer research laboratories a number of
efficiencies and cost savings, the ability of our Target Selector™
kits to provide a result when other FFPE assays may be unable to do
so, and our ability to provide physicians with clinically
actionable information for treating and monitoring patients
diagnosed with cancer, such statements are forward-looking, and are
made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The reader is cautioned
not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, as
these statements are subject to numerous risk factors as set forth
in our Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings. The
effects of such risks and uncertainties could cause actual results
to differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained
in this release. We do not plan to update any such forward-looking
statements and expressly disclaim any duty to update the
information contained in this press release except as required by
law. Readers are advised to review our filings with the SEC, which
can be accessed over the Internet at the SEC's website located at
www.sec.gov.
Investor Contact:
LHA Investor
Relations
Jody Cain
Jcain@lhai.com
310-691-7100
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SOURCE Biocept, Inc.