Biocept Announces Validation and Availability of its Liquid Biopsy Platform for the Detection of Actionable Cancer Biomarkers in Cerebrospinal Fluid

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Biocept, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIOC), a leading commercial provider of liquid biopsy tests designed to provide physicians with clinically actionable information to improve the outcomes of patients diagnosed with cancer, announces that its Target Selector™ assays are now available to physicians in order to evaluate the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of their patients for the presence of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and biomarkers for patients with breast or lung cancer suspected of brain or central nervous system (CNS) metastases. The presence of tumor cells in CSF may be an indicator of brain metastases, which occurs when cancer has spread into the CNS. Up to 30% and 36% of patients diagnosed with breast and lung cancer, respectively, will develop brain metastases.

"Testing the CSF for cancer biomarkers in patients suspected to have brain metastases can be important, as the rapid confirmation and characterization of CNS involvement enables appropriate treatment selection in a timely manner," stated Santosh Kesari, MD, PhD, Chair and Professor, Department of Translational Neurosciences and Neurotherapeutics, Director of Neuro-oncology at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute and John Wayne Cancer Institute. "Liquid biopsy tests offer the ability to analyze an additional specimen type, beyond blood, to help physicians identify biomarkers and hence inform clinical decision making."

"We are very pleased to make our Target Selector™ platform available for testing CSF, as a more rapid identification of molecular alterations in brain metastases can aid physicians in choosing the best treatment options for their patients with breast or lung cancer," said Michael W. Nall, Biocept's President and CEO. "Among the significant capabilities of our technology is its versatility, which enables applications in a variety of clinical situations and for use with multiple types of biofluids."

About CSF Testing

A medical procedure known as a spinal tap or lumbar puncture is typically done to collect CSF when cancer patients present with CNS symptoms, for example confusion or dementia. Over 200,000 of these procedures are performed annually in the U.S. Biocept's Target Selector™ testing provides an alternative and potentially more accurate means compared to cytology to evaluate CSF.  For more information about Biocept's Target Selector™ testing, please contact Biocept Customer Services at 888.332.7729.

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 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 CTCs and in plasma (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 and the potential clinical utility of our proprietary technology platform as applied to CSF, 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 http://www.sec.gov/.

Contacts

Investors:
LHA Investor Relations
Jody Cain
Jcain@lhai.com
310-691-7100

Media:
CORE IR
Jules Abraham
julesa@coreir.com
917-885-7378

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SOURCE Biocept, Inc.