ANGLE PLC, a leading liquid biopsy company, showcased its CTC HER2 assay at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting in San Diego. The assay, developed in collaboration with BioView, aims to evaluate HER2 gene amplification and protein expression in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) harvested using the Parsortix system from metastatic breast cancer patients. The presented data demonstrated the successful identification of HER2 protein and gene copy information with minimal cell loss. Importantly, the assay was able to detect HER2 positive CTCs in patients previously classified as HER2 negative based on primary tissue biopsy.

The HER2 assay is being developed as a product kit for minimally invasive identification of HER2 positive and HER2 low patients, potentially benefiting from HER2-targeted therapies and antibody-drug conjugates. This development is significant as it offers a less invasive and repeatable method for monitoring HER2 status over time, providing valuable data for assessing treatment options. The current standard of care for guiding breast cancer patient treatment plans involves invasive tissue biopsies, which are difficult to repeat and may show discordance between primary and metastatic sites. In contrast, liquid biopsy evaluation of HER2 status offers a minimally invasive technique suitable for repeat monitoring and capturing changes in disease status during and after treatment.

The AACR Annual Meeting is a significant event in the cancer research calendar, attracting a multidisciplinary community of attendees. ANGLE's Chief Scientific Officer, Karen Miller, expressed excitement about presenting the HER2 assay development results at this prestigious event. BioView's Chief Scientific Officer, Chassidy Johnson, also highlighted the potential impact of the HER2 CTC assay on metastatic breast cancer patient care. The presentation at the AACR Annual Meeting is expected to provide valuable exposure and support for this novel HER2 assay.

The development of the HER2 assay aligns with ANGLE's focus on providing innovative circulating tumor cell solutions for research, drug development, and clinical oncology using a simple blood sample. This development has the potential to significantly impact the field of cancer research and patient care, offering a promising alternative to invasive tissue biopsies for monitoring HER2 status in breast cancer patients.