Biocept Expands Commercial Offering Of Clinically Actionable Biomarker Assays With Launch Of Liquid Biopsy Test For Progesterone Receptor Detection

SAN DIEGO, July 14, 2017 /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 cancer patients, announces the commercial availability of its new liquid biopsy test for progesterone receptor (PR), which can be used for the detection and monitoring of a key biomarker in the blood of patients with breast cancer.

"The ability to detect PR expression in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) complements Biocept's existing ER and HER2 assays for biomarker analysis in breast cancer," said Veena Singh, M.D., Biocept's Senior Vice President and Medical Director. "With the addition of PR detection using our high sensitivity CTC platform, we offers liquid biopsy assays for all NCCN Guideline®-based biomarkers pertinent to the care of patients with breast cancer."

"We now have 14 commercially available liquid biopsy assays as we execute on our initiative to expand our product menu of non-invasive, cost-effective biomarker tests," said Biocept's President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Nall. "Our goal is to offer tests to detect and track all clinically actionable biomarkers listed in the NCCN Guidelines® for solid tumors, which we believe is a compelling value proposition for Biocept in the liquid biopsy market."

Biocept's Target Selector PR expression test is performed on CTCs utilizing fluorescently labeled antibodies. The Company's liquid biopsy tests are performed in its CLIA-certified, CAP-accredited laboratory located in San Diego, California. To order a liquid biopsy test, please contact Customer Service at 888-332-7729 or customerservice@biocept.com.

About Progesterone Receptor (PR)
The progesterone receptor (PR) is a protein found inside cells. Upon binding of the steroid hormone progesterone, PR enters the nucleus and binds to DNA, leading to the production of specific proteins. Clinically, breast cancer cells can be tested for hormone sensitivity, also referred as hormone receptor status, where tumor cells that stain positive for PR and/or estrogen receptor (ER) suggest that the patient may respond to a targeted therapy. About 80% of breast cancers are hormone receptor positive.

About NCCN Guidelines®
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®), a not-for-profit alliance of 27 leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research and education, is dedicated to improving the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of cancer care so that patients can live better lives. NCCN offers a number of programs to give clinicians access to tools and knowledge that can help guide decision-making in the management of cancer. Over the past 25 years, NCCN has developed an integrated suite of tools to improve the quality of cancer care. The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) document evidence-based, consensus-driven management to ensure that all patients receive preventive, diagnostic, treatment, and supportive services that are most likely to lead to optimal outcomes.

About Biocept
Biocept, Inc. is a molecular diagnostics company with commercialized assays for lung, breast, gastric, colorectal and prostate cancers, and melanoma. The Company leverages its proprietary liquid biopsy technology to provide physicians with clinically actionable information for treating and monitoring patients diagnosed with cancer. Biocept'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. For additional information, please visit www.biocept.com.

Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer Statement
This news 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 be 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 news release are not strictly historical, including, without limitation, statements as to our ability to identify specific clinical conditions or improve the outcomes of cancer patients, the utility and effectiveness of our intellectual property protections, the financial impact of new contracts, and our ability to increase the number of products or services provided or the value of the Company, 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 news 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 at www.sec.gov

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SOURCE Biocept, Inc.