SAN DIEGO, March 2, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Biocept, Inc. (Nasdaq:BIOC), a molecular oncology diagnostics company specializing in biomarker analysis of cell-free circulating tumor DNA and circulating tumor cells (CTCs), today announced that David Rimm, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Pathology and Professor of Medicine in Medical Oncology at Yale University School of Medicine, will join the Company as a scientific advisor.
Dr. Rimm is a noted physician and researcher in the area of clinically-actionable oncology biomarkers. In his advisory role at Biocept, Dr. Rimm plans to focus on the development of CTC-based biomarker tests targeted on Programmed Death Ligand or PD-L1, an important marker in the emerging area of immuno-oncology therapies.
Some researchers believe that upregulation of PD-L1 allows cancers to evade the host immune system. This research has encouraged development of PD-L1 inhibitor cancer therapies, some that are currently FDA-approved, and many others that are in clinical trials.
“We are very excited to have a physician and personalized medicine expert as accomplished as Dr. Rimm collaborate with our team to help drive our company’s scientific strategy,” said Michael Nall, President and CEO of Biocept. “We believe Dr. Rimm’s experience in translational medicine and cancer biomarkers will help advance Biocept’s goal of increasing test offerings tailored to existing and emerging cancer therapies based on a patient’s genetic signature, with the goal of improving treatment outcomes.”
Dr. Rimm also plans to contribute his expertise to help Biocept expand its menu of blood-based biomarkers.
“The ability to qualify patients for targeted therapy in the absence of biopsy tissue, through a simple blood test, is a provocative concept,” Dr. Rimm said. “This is especially true for PD-L1 axis immuno-oncology therapeutics where tumors are very heterogeneous in their expression of PD-L1, meaning, multiple tissue biopsies of the same tumor may not return the same pathological result. The ability to track and monitor patients around this biomarker could be critical for future patient management.”
About Biocept, Inc.
Biocept, Inc., headquartered in San Diego, Calif., is a commercial-stage oncology diagnostics company focused on providing information on patients’ tumors to physicians using its proprietary technology platform to help improve individual patient treatment. Biocept has developed proprietary technology platforms for capture and analysis of circulating tumor DNA, both in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and in plasma (cell free tumor DNA). A standard blood sample is utilized to provide physicians with important prognostic and predictive information to enhance individual treatment of their patients with cancer. Biocept currently offers its OncoCEE-GATM, OncoCEE-BRTM and OncoCEE-LUNGTM test, respectively for gastric, breast and lung cancer and plans to introduce additional CLIA validated tests for lung, colorectal, prostate and other solid tumors based on its proprietary technology platforms over the coming months.
About David Rimm, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. David Rimm is a Professor in the Department of Pathology at the Yale University School of Medicine. He completed an MD-PhD at Johns Hopkins University Medical School followed by a Pathology Residency at Yale and a Cytopathology Fellowship at the Medical College of Virginia. He is board certified in Anatomic Pathology and Cytopathology. Dr. Rimm is the Director of Yale Pathology Tissue Services and acting director of Molecular Diagnostics. His laboratory group focuses on quantitative pathology related to predicting response to therapy and predicting recurrence or metastasis in breast and lung cancer. He is the author of over 300 peer-reviewed journal papers and eight patents and was co-founder of HistoRx, (a digital pathology company sold to Genoptix in 2012) and Metamark Genetics, a prognostic determinant company.
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 Dr. Rimm’s ability to contribute to the advancement of our tests and other product offerings and our impact on diagnostic strategies, 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 .
CONTACT: Investor Contact: The Ruth Group David Burke Tel: 646-536-7009 dburke@theruthgroup.com
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