ANGLE PLC (AIM: AGL, OTCQX: ANPCY) has signed an agreement with Crescendo Biologics, a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company, to offer its advanced Portrait Flex Assay, a liquid biopsy tool, for a prostate cancer study.
The essay will be utilised in Crescendo’s phase I clinical trial, which aims to investigate the safety and effectiveness of CB307, a pioneering treatment for patients diagnosed with solid tumours positive for prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA).
Financial details of the agreement have not been disclosed.
The Portrait Flex Assay, which was launched towards the end of 2022, can identify circulating tumour cells (CTCs) and cells undergoing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMTing). Both of these are known factors that can cause cancer metastasis and drug resistance. This highly sensitive and specific test also permits clients to include custom protein biomarkers that meet their specific requirements.
As part of their collaboration, Crescendo Biologics will use the Portrait Flex Assay in the cohort expansion stage of their clinical study, with patient samples processed and analysed at ANGLE’s laboratories using the Parsortix system.
Andrew Newland, ANGLE’s Founder and CEO, mentioned that the use of CTC biomarkers in clinical trials is an increasingly expanding area that not only aids in identifying druggable targets but also provides valuable prognostic information about treatment response, resistance, and patient relapse.
He also expressed his satisfaction that Crescendo Biologics has adopted their latest assay and highlighted that ANGLE would explore opportunities to grow their partnership in the future. Additionally, the company’s menu of Parsortix-based CTC assays is constantly expanding, leading to a growing pipeline of potential pharma services customers.
