Biocept Collaborates with MedStar Georgetown University Hospital for Liquid Biopsy Study

SAN DIEGO, April 27, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Biocept, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIOC), a leading molecular diagnostics company with a commercial liquid biopsy technology focused on cancer treatment and monitoring, announces the initiation of a collaborative study with MedStar Georgetown University Hospital to evaluate resistance biomarkers in patients diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who are currently being treated with EGFR inhibitors or chemotherapy.  Tumors from patients with advanced NSCLC are routinely screened for the presence of EGFR mutations, with these mutations occurring in approximately 10 to 20 percent of NSCLC patients.

The study is being conducted at the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center under the direction of Giuseppe Giaccone, MD, PhD, Associate Director for Clinical Research for the MedStar Health Cancer Network's Washington Region and an internationally recognized expert in the field of lung cancer and developmental therapeutics. Biocept will monitor various clinically validated biomarkers in patients with lung cancer, including EGFR, MET, ALK and BRAF, using its proprietary circulating tumor cell (CTC) and cell free circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) dual platform technology. Data from the study is expected to further build and strengthen the clinical utility for Biocept's blood-based biomarker testing platforms.

"Studying various forms of resistance mechanisms allows us to further expand upon and develop evidence supporting the utility of clinically actionable personalized treatment information for patients with metastatic lung cancer," said Veena Singh, MD, Biocept's Senior Vice President and Senior Medical Director. "Treatment with currently approved targeted TKI therapies have known benefits for patients with various EGFR activating mutations; however, nearly all of these patients will eventually develop resistance to their therapies, which results in disease progression.

"Our study is focusing on identifying active evolving resistance mechanisms through blood-based testing in order to monitor the mutations in the tumor and importantly identify real-time treatment options for these patients," added Dr. Singh.  "We are delighted to be collaborating on this study with highly respected Dr. Giaccone and a top-tier institution such as MedStar Georgetown."

"Current standard of care is to use tumor biopsies by invasive surgical techniques or interventional radiology to both re-stratify patients with NSCLC when signs of progression are identified and to monitor these patients for key mechanisms of resistance," said Dr. Giaccone. "These biopsies have a quantifiable rate of complications and risk.  The ability to identify resistance mechanisms through blood-based liquid biopsy monitoring allows for detection and analysis without the need to obtain more tissue."

About MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer CenterThe Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center is part of Georgetown University Medical Center and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.  It is a state-of-the-art cancer center housing more than 240,000 square feet of clinic and research space.  Georgetown Lombardi is a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.  MedStar Georgetown University Hospital is a not-for-profit, acute-care teaching and research hospital located in Northwest Washington, D.C. and is a part of the greater MedStar network, the largest healthcare provider in Maryland and the Washington, D.C., region.

About BioceptBiocept, Inc. is a molecular diagnostics company with commercial tests targeting lung, breast, gastric, colorectal and prostate cancers and melanoma.  The company uses its proprietary liquid biopsy technology to provide physicians with more precise information for treating and monitoring patients with cancer.  The company's patented Target Selector™ liquid biopsy technology platform captures and analyzes circulating tumor DNA in both circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and in plasma (ctDNA).  After thousands of tests, the platform has proven to be effective in identifying cancer mutations.  Biocept plans to introduce additional CLIA-validated tests in the near term.  For additional information, please visit www.biocept.com.

Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer StatementThis 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 the expected results of the study, our ability to improve the detection and treatment of cancer, our impact on diagnostic strategies, our ability to enhance individual cancer treatments and planned future offerings, 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.

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SOURCE Biocept, Inc.