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Highlights:
- ANGLE presents new data on HER2 scoring system for circulating tumour cells (CTCs) at AACR 2024.
- Co-development with BioView demonstrates how blood tests could identify HER2 status changes in metastatic breast cancer patients.
- Results suggest blood-based tests could help identify patients eligible for HER2-targeted therapies, including new antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).
ANGLE plc (AIM: AGL OTCQX: ANPCY), a global leader in liquid biopsy solutions, has announced the presentation of exciting new data at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Special Conference on Cancer Research, held in San Diego from 13 to 16 November 2024. The data marks a significant step forward in ANGLE’s ongoing co-development program with BioView, focused on advancing precision oncology for metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients.
The data, presented in a poster entitled "Development of a Scoring System to Classify HER2 Protein Expression in Circulating Tumor Cells through Immunofluorescence Following Isolation Using Parsortix® Instruments", outlines the progress of a cutting-edge assay kit designed to evaluate HER2 gene amplification and protein expression in circulating tumour cells (CTCs). This test, developed in collaboration with BioView, utilizes ANGLE’s Parsortix® system, which enables the isolation of CTCs from blood samples, offering a less invasive alternative to traditional tissue biopsy methods.
The newly developed scoring system for HER2 expression aims to transform how HER2 status is assessed in patients with metastatic breast cancer. The current standard of care relies on tumor tissue biopsies to determine HER2 expression levels, but HER2 status can change over time as the disease progresses. ANGLE’s innovative blood-based assay provides a potential solution to monitor these changes in real-time and offer a more accurate assessment of HER2 status in patients with MBC.
The results presented at the AACR conference were derived from a cohort of 43 MBC patients. The findings revealed that the HER2 status of some patients had changed over time. Specifically, patients who were initially classified as HER2-negative based on tissue biopsy were found to be HER2-positive or HER2-low when evaluated using the new CTC analysis. This underscores the potential of blood-based testing to identify patients who could benefit from newer HER2-targeted therapies, including antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), which are showing promise in clinical trials for HER2-positive cancers.
Approximately 80% of breast cancer patients are initially diagnosed as HER2-negative, based on tissue biopsy results. However, it is well-established that HER2 status can evolve, particularly in metastatic disease. The ability to identify patients whose HER2 status has changed could open the door to new treatment options, enabling healthcare providers to prescribe HER2-targeted therapies earlier and more accurately, potentially improving patient outcomes.
Chassidy Johnson, Chief Scientific Officer at BioView, commented on the significance of the findings: “The results being presented at the AACR Special Conference are an important milestone in our development program. They highlight the robust performance of the HER2 CTC assay, which can detect a range of HER2 expression levels in metastatic breast cancer patients. This blood-based test could play a critical role in identifying patients who may benefit from emerging anti-HER2 therapies, including newer HER2-targeted ADCs.”
The co-development work between ANGLE and BioView is expected to have far-reaching implications for the future of precision oncology, particularly for patients with metastatic breast cancer. The ability to non-invasively monitor HER2 status through liquid biopsy could lead to more personalized treatment approaches, improving outcomes for patients and reducing reliance on repeated tissue biopsies. As the technology advances, ANGLE is poised to make a lasting impact on the landscape of cancer diagnostics and drug development.
