ANGLE PLC (AIM:AGL, OTCQX:ANPCY) has unveiled research indicating that combined analysis of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) and circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) could improve tracking of treatment and help identify drug-resistant cases of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
The study, carried out by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, employed ANGLE’s Parsortix system to isolate CTCs from 30 patients with a specific gene mutation in NSCLC, who were being treated with AstraZeneca’s drug osimertinib.
Researchers found that examining both CTCs and ctDNA enabled them to detect mutations and other markers that could identify patients unlikely to respond to treatment early in disease progression.
This dual approach provided a fuller picture than analysing either CTCs or ctDNA alone, allowing for continuous patient monitoring during clinical trials.
The evaluation also identified potential treatment targets, such as HER2 and PD-L1, in patients whose cancer progressed despite osimertinib treatment.
ANGLE's chief scientific officer, Karen Miller, said: "This study supports our pharma services business by demonstrating how dual molecular analysis of Parsortix-enriched CTCs and ctDNA could improve patient stratification in clinical trials investigating new targeted therapies or new therapy combinations.
"This approach could ultimately lead to the development of more targeted drugs or better drug combinations that could result in better outcomes for patients, all of which may require a Parsortix-based companion diagnostic to support regulatory approval."