Results from Study Using Biocept's Target Selector™ Testing to Monitor Breast Cancer Disease Progression to be Presented at 2020 SABCS®

SAN DIEGO, Nov. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Biocept, Inc. (Nasdaq: BIOC), a leading commercial provider of molecular diagnostic assays, products and services designed to provide physicians with clinically actionable information to improve patient outcomes, announces that results from a prospective study using Target Selector™ testing to monitor disease progression in patients with metastatic breast cancer will be featured in a poster presentation at the virtual 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium® (SABCS) on December 9, 2020. 

Vered Stearns, M.D., professor of oncology, breast cancer research chair in oncology, and director of the Women's Malignancies Disease Group at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine/Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, will present "HER2 expression in matched metastatic tumor and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in breast cancer: implications for profiling and monitoring of HER2 status to help guide anti-HER2 therapy."  Following Dr. Stearns' presentation, Biocept plans to announce the study results and to post the presentation here.

Despite improvements in early detection, one in eight women in the U.S. (12%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime.  Approximately 20% of breast cancers test positive for the HER2 protein and, during treatment and with disease progression, the HER2 receptor may convert from positive to negative. 

"Once breast cancer metastasizes, it may be difficult to access multiple metastatic sites or to perform serial tissue biopsies to determine whether HER2 conversion has occurred," said Dr. Steans.  "This prospective study was designed to evaluate the use of liquid biopsy compared with tissue biopsy for analysis of HER2 status over time."

"The ability to monitor changes in tumor alterations can provide critical information for physicians in reassessing options over the course of treating patients with metastatic breast cancer," said Michael Nall, President and CEO of Biocept.  "We believe that our Target Selector™ is among the most sensitive blood-based tests for identifying HER2 amplification.  It is highly gratifying to conduct this study with Dr. Stearns, a recognized leader in breast cancer research, and to have these results presented at the SABCS."

About SABCS®
Since 1977 the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium® (SABCS®) has been the leading scientific conference for basic scientists, physician-scientists, clinical investigators and breast care providers, and advocates seeking an exchange of new information in experimental biology, etiology, prevention, diagnosis, and therapy of premalignant breast disease and breast cancer.  Founded, owned, and operated by UT Health San Antonio, the symposium has grown to a five-day event attended by an international audience of academic investigators and private physicians from over 80 countries to attain information through abstract presentations, panel discussions, research findings, and state-of-the-art educational sessions.  UT Health San Antonio, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), and Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine support SABCS, which provides education and accessibility to the latest information regarding the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of premalignant breast cancer and breast disease.  For more information about the symposium, please visit www.sabcs.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.  Additionally, Biocept is offering nationwide COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing to support public health efforts during this unprecedented 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 Biocept's plans to announce study results, the ability of our tests to provide clinically actionable information 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, including under the "Risk Factors" heading of our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2020. 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.