SAN DIEGO, Sept. 21, 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 with cancer, announces that Highmark,
America's fourth largest Blue Cross Blue Shield affiliate, has made
a positive coverage determination that Biocept's Target Selector
liquid biopsy assay has been accepted for medical coverage for use
in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with non-small cell lung
cancer (NSCLC). The coverage determination follows two years
of evaluation performed by the Allegheny Health Network Cancer
Institute of Biocept's liquid biopsy assay to more rapidly
assess the molecular status of patients with NSCLC, enabling
oncologists to select the most appropriate therapy while also
reducing the overall cost of care.
Highmark's coverage determination includes testing with
Biocept's assay in health insurances across the insurer's
footprint, which includes Pennsylvania, Delaware and West
Virginia, where it serves 5.6 million members. The
evaluation was managed by Highmark Health's VITAL Innovation
Platform, which facilitates real-world testing of early-stage
health innovations, producing evidence related to patient
experience, care, and cost outcomes to support potential adoption
within Highmark Health, as well as acceleration into the broader
healthcare community. Highmark will be the first insurer in
its footprint to provide coverage of the test. In addition,
Allegheny Health Network is the first health system to offer the
testing in Highmark's footprint, with others to follow.
"The diagnosis, treatment and care of patients with cancer is
among Highmark Health's top priorities and a focus of the VITAL
Innovation Platform," said Anil C. Singh, MD, Allegheny Health
Network (AHN) System Director of Pulmonary/Critical
Care/Allergy-Immunology and Sleep Medicine, and medical advisor to
VITAL. "VITAL's evaluation clearly demonstrates the value of
using Biocept's liquid biopsy test in making informed, first-line
therapy decisions for patients with non-small cell lung
cancer. Additionally, using a simple blood sample reduced the
number of invasive tissue biopsies, which can be challenging in
patients with advanced NSCLC."
The Biocept Target Selector platform was used to molecularly
profile the liquid biopsies of newly diagnosed, treatment-naïve
advanced NSCLC patients, as well as NSCLC patients who were
progressing after initial therapy. These patients also
received tissue biopsy as part of the evaluation.
"This project directly supports Highmark's and AHN's mission to
provide members and patients with access to the best care that is
available, freeing them to be their best," said Gene G. Finley, MD, deputy director of Allegheny
Health Network Medical Oncology and lead investigator on the
project. "In order to realize the full potential of targeted
therapies, oncologists require timely and accurate molecular
characterization of a patient's cancer for selection of the best
possible therapy. Our study indicated that results of
Biocept's liquid biopsy provided clinicians with accurate knowledge
about their patients' disease, allowing us to implement more
effective and better targeted treatment strategies. This
improves the patient experience and lowers healthcare costs."
"The positive results from our collaboration under the VITAL
program further solidifies Biocept's role as a leader in the liquid
biopsy field and represents an important movement towards improving
care for cancer patients," said Michael
Nall, Biocept's president and chief executive officer.
"After several years of participating in the VITAL program, the
fact that Highmark has made a positive coverage determination is a
testament to the value we bring to patients with cancer and to the
healthcare system."
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United
States. The American Cancer Society estimates that
approximately 135,720 Americans will die from lung cancer in
2020. The five-year survival rate for
advanced NSCLC is less than 10%. However, 17–27% of NSCLC
patients harbor molecular alterations that can be treated with
specific FDA-approved targeted therapies.
Despite the advances of targeted therapies, a
large percentage of patients may not undergo molecular profiling
due to a number of practical constraints. Chief among these
is the availability of tissue for molecular testing. Lung cancers
are often difficult to biopsy because of their location within what
is often diseased lung tissue of elderly patients. Needle
biopsy is the most common technique but often does not yield enough
tissue for molecular testing. Performing a second biopsy is a
way of remedying this situation, but these procedures can add to
risk and cost, making liquid biopsy (peripheral blood) a more
feasible specimen type.
About Highmark Health
Highmark Health, a Pittsburgh, PA-based enterprise that employs
more than 35,000 people who serve millions of Americans across the
country, is the parent company of Highmark Inc., a hospital system,
and other businesses. Highmark Inc. and its subsidiaries and
affiliates provide health insurance to more than 5.6 million
members in Pennsylvania,
West Virginia, and Delaware as well as dental insurance, and
related health products through a national network of diversified
businesses. Highmark Health's other subsidiaries include an
integrated delivery network comprised of eight hospitals, more than
2,500 affiliated physicians, ambulatory surgery centers, an
employed physician organization, home and community-based health
services, a research institute, a group purchasing organization,
and health and wellness pavilions in western Pennsylvania; and an information technology
business focused on meeting the information technology platform and
other business needs of the Highmark Health enterprise as well as
unaffiliated health insurance plans by providing proven business
processes, expert knowledge, and integrated cloud-based platforms.
To learn more, visit www.highmarkhealth.org. For
information specific to the VITAL Innovation Platform, please visit
www.vitalinnovation.com.
About Highmark
One of America's leading health
insurance organizations and an independent licensee of the Blue
Cross Blue Shield Association, Highmark Inc. (the Health Plan) and
its affiliated health plans (collectively, the Health Plans) work
passionately to deliver high-quality, accessible, understandable,
and affordable experiences, outcomes, and solutions to customers.
As the fourth-largest overall Blue Cross Blue
Shield-affiliated organization, Highmark Inc. and its Blue-branded
affiliates proudly cover the insurance needs of more than 5.6
million members in Pennsylvania,
Delaware, and West Virginia. Its diversified businesses
serve group customer and individual needs across the United States through dental insurance and
other related businesses. For more information, visit
www.highmark.com.
About Allegheny Health Network
Allegheny Health
Network is an integrated health care delivery system serving the
greater Western Pennsylvania
region. The network is composed of 12 hospitals, ambulatory
surgery centers, Health + Wellness Pavilions, an employed physician
organization, home- and community-based health services, a research
institute, and a group purchasing organization. AHN provides
patients with access to a complete spectrum of advanced medical
services, including nationally recognized programs for primary and
emergency care, cardiovascular disease, cancer care, orthopedic
surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, women's health, diabetes and
more. AHN employs approximately 21,000 people, has more than
2,500 physicians on its medical staff, and serves as a clinical
campus for Drexel University College of
Medicine, Temple University School of
Medicine, and the Lake Erie College of
Osteopathic Medicine. To learn more, visit www.ahn.org.
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. In
addition, Biocept recently added COVID-19 testing to support
efforts to fight the pandemic. 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 regarding the ability of our tests to provide clinically
actionable information to oncologist and their patients and the
ability of Biocept's platform to identify cancer mutations and
alterations to inform physicians about a patient's disease and
therapeutic options, 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.