A new ‘path’ for Parsortix

GUILDFORD, U.K. & ABBOTT PARK, Ill.—ANGLE plc continues its efforts to couple the use of its Parsortix platform technology with reliable analysis technology partners through a collaboration with global healthcare company Abbott. Through the partnership, Abbott will provide its PathVysion HER-2 DNA FISH Probe Kits, which ANGLE will use as it seeks FDA clearance of the Parsortix system in metastatic breast cancer. The companies determined that a research grant from Abbott to ANGLE was the most straightforward way to allow to collaboration to happen.

Abbott is a global market leader in DNA fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) testing, which “maps” the genetic material in human cells, including specific genes or portions of genes. It is useful in cancer diagnosis because it can detect genetic abnormalities associated with cancer, and in some cases, predict a patient’s potential response to a specific drug. Abbott’s PathVysion HER-2 DNA FISH Probe Kit was the first test approved to show the accurate assessment of a breast cancer patient’s HER-2 status at the DNA level (a key cause of breast cancer) and is widely used by laboratories around the world.

“Abbott is pleased to collaborate with ANGLE in this important evaluation of PathVysion in liquid biopsy specimens,” according to Dr. Kathryn Becker, franchise director of oncology and companion diagnostics at Abbott. “The PathVysion HER-2 DNA FISH Probe kit is reliable and accurate in tissue biopsy samples, and the Parsortix system may unlock the potential for PathVysion use in a simple blood test. We look forward to the outcomes of the study and the potential opportunity to further collaborate with ANGLE in combining FISH and liquid biopsy in other areas.”

ANGLE is a global liquid biopsy company commercializing a platform technology (Parsortix) that can capture circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in blood, even when they are as rare in number as one cell in one billion blood cells, and harvest the cells for analysis. ANGLE is seeking to be the first FDA-cleared CTC harvesting system. As ANGLE was considering which probes to use in its FDA studies to demonstrate the capabilities of Parsortix in conjunction with downstream analyses, Abbott was a logical partner. FISH analysis is one of the exploratory end-points for ANGLE’s FDA study in metastatic breast cancer, with the objective of demonstrating that CTCs can be harvested from the blood of metastatic breast cancer patients using the Parsortix system and that the harvested CTCs can then be subjected to FISH analysis to determine their HER-2 status.

“Working with companies like Abbott adds to the validation that the Parsortix system is effective in harvesting circulating tumor cells from blood and that these cells can be analyzed to determine key information to aid treatment decisions,” asserts ANGLE CEO Andrew Newland.

The PathVysion tests are currently deployed with conventional solid tissue specimens. By demonstrating the ability to use the Parsortix liquid biopsy with the kit, it could allow further research and clinical evaluations to potentially use a simple, non-invasive blood draw. A positive PathVysion HER-2 result in Parsortix-harvested CTCs would demonstrate the feasibility of a breast cancer liquid biopsy in metastatic breast cancer patients. This would be a significant step toward advancing healthcare options for these patients, as it is not often possible to obtain solid tumor biopsy specimens in late-stage cancer and the patient’s HER-2 status can change with disease progression. Using blood as a surrogate could provide an avenue to new therapies and new hope for a very ill population. Likewise, detailed analysis of the harvested cells has the potential to help deliver personalized cancer care.

“This is another important collaboration for ANGLE with a leader in downstream analysis,” says Newland. “Following our FDA studies, we hope to be able to work with Abbott to extend PathVysion use into routine blood test analysis as an important downstream application of the Parsortix system in breast cancer. Use of ANGLE’s Parsortix system would for the first time enable established tissue biopsy techniques to be used for breast cancer on cancer cells obtained from a simple blood test, protecting patients from invasive procedures and improving their care whilst at the same time reducing healthcare costs.”