ANGLE PLC has announced a new commercial agreement with AstraZeneca to develop a Parsortix-based Androgen Receptor detection assay for use in prostate cancer studies. The agreement, worth £550,000, will see ANGLE developing a CTC-based AR assay in its UK laboratories, with project completion expected in Q1 2025. The assay aims to assess the efficacy of prostate cancer therapeutics and could potentially lead to long-term business for the company supporting clinical studies.

The Androgen Receptor (AR) detection assay is significant as AR plays a pivotal role in prostate cancer tumor growth and progression. ANGLE's CEO, Andrew Newland, expressed confidence in the potential for long-term large-scale revenues from this agreement, stating that success in the assay's development phase may lead to larger contracts for use in clinical trials. Chief Scientific Officer Karen Miller highlighted the importance of the new assay, emphasizing its potential to be used in clinical trials and as an addition to the company's menu of assays for other customers.

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men globally, with 1.5 million new cases diagnosed annually. The androgen receptor is crucial in prostate cancer, and the variability in response to anti-androgen therapy often leads to disease progression. The development of a resistance to therapy results in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), which is currently incurable.

ANGLE is a world-leading liquid biopsy company with innovative circulating tumor cell (CTC) solutions for use in research, drug development, and clinical oncology. The company's Parsortix system, which enables complete downstream analysis of CTC samples, is FDA cleared and patent protected. ANGLE's commercial businesses focus on diagnostic products and clinical services, including custom assay development and clinical trial testing for pharma.

This new agreement with AstraZeneca marks a significant step for ANGLE in contributing to the advancement of prostate cancer studies and potentially bringing innovative new cancer drugs to the market. The company's expertise in CTC isolation, harvest, and profiling for androgen receptor investigation is expected to have a substantial impact on the assessment of prostate cancer therapeutics and clinical studies.