Researchers working with ANGLE PLC (AIM:AGL, OTCQX:ANPCY)’s Parsortix liquid biopsy system have been able to successfully tell the difference between malignant and benign abnormal pelvic masses using a simple blood draw to help detect ovarian cancer.
The company called the results ‘best in class’ and pointed out the approach has the potential to at least cut in half the number of false positive and negative results current screening methods throw up.
Parsortix has already received regulatory clearance in the US and Europe for use in metastatic breast cancer.
It said the latest achievement ‘marks another important milestone in the company's commercialisation strategy’.
The study evaluated blood samples from 144 women diagnosed with a pelvic mass and was led by Dr Richard Moore at the University of Rochester Medical Centre.
"Demonstration of the clinical utility of the Parsortix system is a key strategic goal for ANGLE, so the excellent results from this study are validation of what can be achieved in a demanding clinical setting,” said the company’s chief executive, Andrew Newland.
“Further, these results demonstrate the capability to undertake a complex molecular analysis of the Parsortix harvest in a real-world setting.
“This important capability has potentially numerous, widespread alternative uses, reinforcing our belief that a Parsortix harvest of circulating tumour cells from a liquid biopsy offers the "best sample" for clinicians seeking actionable information to guide patient cancer treatment."
In a separate announcement, ANGLE delivered its interim results for the six months ended June 30.
Largely reflective of a business at the formative stages of its commercial journey, the numbers revealed the group generated £400,000 of revenues and posted a loss of £9.2mln. The latter figure was the result of planned investment as it rolled out its pharma services offering.
More importantly, cash at the period-end was £20.5mln, which was supplemented with a further £20.1mln it raised from investors in July.
In the update, ANGLE said the pharma services business was gaining momentum as it said it was in discussion with more than twenty biopharma companies.
This, it added, offered a pipeline of opportunities for new contracts up to the end of the year and into 2023.
“We are pleased to see repeat business already coming through from an early major customer and the successful development of our first bespoke assay for another as we start to build our service offering 'menu',” said chairman Garth Selvey.