RCS - Angle PLC - Study of ovarian cancer CTCs using Parsortix

AngleAnnouncement

16/05/2024 07:00

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RNS Number : 6327O  Angle PLC  16 May 2024

 For immediate release  16 May 2024

 

ANGLE plc ("the Company")

 

INDEPENDENT STUDY OF OVARIAN CANCER CTCS HARVESTED BY THE PARSORTIX SYSTEM
HIGHLIGHTS POTENTIAL TO PREDICT PROGRESSION FREE SURVIVAL FOR DRUG TRIALS

 

The study investigated 123 metastatic ovarian cancer patients over two and a
half years using the Parsortix system to assess 474 longitudinal patient
samples

 

Downstream qPCR molecular analysis of the Parsortix harvest for ESR1 and ERCC1
genes may be an early predictor of progression free survival and cancer
progression respectively

 

ANGLE plc (AIM:AGL OTCQX:ANPCY), a world-leading liquid biopsy company with
innovative circulating tumour cell (CTC) solutions for use in research, drug
development and clinical oncology, is delighted to announce the publication of
a study using the Parsortix(®) system to identify markers present in CTCs
harvested from metastatic mutant-p53 platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC)
patients. The study was conducted as an offshoot of the European multi-centre
GANNET53 Phase II clinical trial (NCT02012192) funded by the EU 7th Framework
Programme (Grant agreement ID: 602602). The study investigated the efficacy of
ganetespib in combination with paclitaxel vs. paclitaxel alone. Patients were
enrolled across 12 clinical centres in Germany, Belgium, France, and Austria.

 

The translational study, which the research team believes is the largest study
of CTCs in ovarian cancer (in terms of number of patient samples analysed),
was conducted by researchers at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria. The
study analysed a total of 474 blood samples collected from 123 PROC patients
at baseline (i.e. prior to first administration of study drugs), and at
multiple timepoints over a period of two and a half years during treatment
until disease progression. A panel of 27 gene transcripts (RNA) was analysed
on Parsortix-harvested CTCs using standard laboratory qPCR analysis.

 

The authors identified two CTC-associated markers with potential prognostic
value. ERCC1, a key gene of the DNA damage response pathway, was associated
with an increased risk of disease progression and worse outcomes, whereas the
presence of ESR1, a gene encoding oestrogen receptor alpha (ERα), was
associated with a reduced progression risk. The presence of ESR1 transcripts
together with concurrent absence of ERCC1 transcripts in CTC-enriched samples
at baseline and during treatment cycles was found to be predictive of improved
progression free survival (PFS). Whereas the presence of ERCCI transcripts and
the absence of ESR1 transcripts at baseline and during treatment cycles
indicated a 12.77× greater likelihood (odds ratio) of cancer progression.

 

The analysis of these biomarkers has the potential to provide an early
indication of PFS ahead of clinical trial results and suggests that CTC
characterisation may be a valuable tool for pharma drug trials in the future.

 

In addition, the authors conclude that molecular characterisation of CTCs
before and during treatment has the potential to be a useful tool to monitor
ovarian cancer patients and may provide further insights into the biology of
this difficult to treat disease. According to clinicaltrials.gov there are
1,024 active interventional studies enrolling more than 825,000 participants
in ovarian cancer.

 

The study is published as a peer-reviewed journal article in the International
Journal of Cancer and is available online at
https://angleplc.com/publications/.

 

 

ANGLE Chief Scientific Officer, Karen Miller, commented:

"We are pleased to share this peer-reviewed publication by the Medical
University of Vienna and the European GANNET53 consortium. The paper
demonstrates the potential utility of molecular characterisation of CTCs
enriched using the Parsortix system in monitoring ovarian cancer patients
throughout their treatment and during follow-up. The scale of this study, both
in terms of numbers of patients and timescale of follow-up, is particularly
important. It clearly demonstrates how use of the Parsortix system in cancer
trials could in the future enable our pharma customers to gain an early
understanding of how patients are responding to their drug."

 

 

Ovarian cancer accounted for over 320,000 new cases of cancer, and over
200,000 deaths worldwide in 2022(1). Diagnosis often occurs at a later stage,
and although patients often respond well to initial treatment with a
platinum-based chemotherapy, many patients relapse and develop resistance to
treatment(2).

 

1. American Cancer Society. Global Cancer Facts & Figures 5th Edition.
Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2024

2. Zamwar UM, Anjankar AP. Aetiology, epidemiology, histopathology,
classification, detailed evaluation, and treatment of ovarian cancer. Cureus.
2022; 14:e30561

 

 

For further information:

 

 ANGLE plc                               +44 (0) 1483 343434
 Andrew Newland, Chief Executive

 Ian Griffiths, Finance Director

 Berenberg (NOMAD and Broker)            +44 (0) 20 3207 7800

 Toby Flaux, Ciaran Walsh, Milo Bonser

 FTI Consulting

 Simon Conway, Ciara Martin              +44 (0) 203 727 1000

 Matthew Ventimiglia (US)                +1 (212) 850 5624

 

 

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

 

For Frequently Used Terms, please see the Company's website on
https://angleplc.com/investor-relations/glossary/
(https://angleplc.com/investor-relations/glossary/)

 

 

Notes for editors

 

About ANGLE plc

 

ANGLE is a world-leading liquid biopsy company with innovative circulating
tumour cell (CTC) solutions for use in research, drug development and clinical
oncology using a simple blood sample. ANGLE's FDA cleared and patent protected
circulating tumour cell (CTC) harvesting technology known as the Parsortix(®)
PC1 System enables complete downstream analysis of the sample including whole
cell imaging and proteomic analysis and full genomic and transcriptomic
molecular analysis.

 

ANGLE's commercial businesses are focusing on diagnostic products and clinical
services. Diagnostic products include the Parsortix(®) system, associated
consumables and assays. The clinical services business is offered through
ANGLE's GCLP-compliant laboratories.  Services include custom made assay
development and clinical trial testing for pharma.

 

Over 90 peer-reviewed publications have demonstrated the performance of the
Parsortix system. For more information, visit www.angleplc.com
(http://www.angleplc.com)

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