Dr. Marileila Varella Garcia Joins Biocept as Scientific Advisor

University of Colorado-affiliated scientific leader to collaborate on assays for biopharmaceutical partners

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Biocept, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIOC), a molecular diagnostics company commercializing and developing liquid biopsies to improve the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, today announced that Marileila Varella Garcia, Ph.D., Professor in the Division of Medical Oncology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, will join Biocept as a scientific advisor.

Dr. Garcia is a noted researcher in translational oncology and cytogenetic technology. She will consult with Biocept on assay development, clinical menu expansion and will assist with clinical trials for Biocept’s pharmaceutical partnerships.

One of Dr. Garcia’s primary areas of interest includes developing and validating companion diagnostic (CDx) tests, which analyze biomarkers that are used by physicians when making patient treatment decisions about whether to prescribe drugs such as Herceptin® (trastuzumab), Xalkori® (crizotinib) and Zykadia™ (ceritinib). Many of these biomarkers are included today in Biocept’s liquid biopsy test menu including ALK, HER2, ROS1, and MET.

“Dr. Garcia’s expertise in validating and developing personalized medicine assays affords us the opportunity to further expand the breadth and depth of our clinical laboratory assays, which are designed to qualify patients for existing and emerging cancer therapies based on a tumor’s genetic signature,” said Veena Singh, MD, Biocept’s Senior Vice President and Senior Medical Director. “We believe that her expertise will enhance our services when collaborating on clinical trials with potential pharmaceutical partners.”

“I am excited to collaborate with Biocept in the use of liquid biopsies for molecular diagnostic. The scientific knowledge built studying solid tumors has the opportunity to be rapidly translated to a much less invasive setting, thus bringing significant benefit to patients,” said Dr. Garcia. “Moreover, the specific features of the Biocept technical platform allow integration of different assays, which is useful for confirmation, refining results or performing complementary analyses.”

Biocept previously announced that David Rimm, MD, Ph.D., Professor of Pathology and Professor of Medicine in Medical Oncology at Yale University School of Medicine, had joined Biocept as a Scientific Advisor and is collaborating on PDL1, an important biomarker in the field of Immunotherapy.

Dr. Garcia focuses on translational cancer research using molecular cytogenetics technology. Aiming to better support molecular targeted therapies and efficiently identify patients likely to benefit from these therapies, her laboratory investigates genomic imbalances and activating fusions in metabolic pathways important in oncogenesis using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)–based assays. Her laboratory not only develops new molecular reagents, but optimizes scoring systems aimed for clinical applications in specific tumor types. Dr. Garcia directs the molecular cytogenetics sections in the University of Colorado Cancer Center Molecular Pathology and in the Department of Pathology Colorado Molecular Correlates Laboratories.

About Biocept

Biocept, Inc. is a commercial-stage molecular diagnostics company that utilizes proprietary technology platforms and a standard blood sample to provide physicians with important prognostic and predictive information to enhance the individual treatment of patients with cancer. Biocept’s technology platform captures and analyzes circulating tumor DNA, both in CTCs and in plasma (ctDNA). Biocept currently offers assays for lung cancer, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, breast cancer and melanoma, and plans to introduce CLIA-validated assays for prostate and other solid tumors in the near term.

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 impact on diagnostic strategies, our ability to expand the breadth and depth of our clinical laboratory assays, our ability to enhance our services, the ability of our platform to integrate different assays and the benefits thereof, and our 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 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 Securities and Exchange Commission, which can be accessed over the Internet at the SEC's website located at www.sec.gov.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150803005325/en/

Investor Contact:
LHA
Jody Cain, 310-691-7100
[email protected]

Source: Biocept, Inc.

You May Also Be Interested In

• Fisker (FSR) files form 10-K, sees more job cuts, reiterates going concern doubts
• Centessa Pharmaceuticals (CNTA) Announces Pricing of $100 Million Public Offering of American Depositary Shares
• SunPower (SPWR) determined prior financial statements should no longer be relied upon