Oncocyte to Present DetermaIO™ Test Data at the 2020 Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) Conference

Rhea-AI Summary

Oncocyte Corporation (NYSE American: OCX) has announced plans to present data on its DetermaIO™ test at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) 2020 Virtual Conference. This test aims to identify effective therapeutic options for patients with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) resistance, particularly in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The findings suggest DetermaIO could help predict patient responses to ICIs, addressing a critical need in the growing $3B ICI therapy selection testing market.

Data show DetermaIO™ may help to select effective therapeutic options for immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) resistant patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC)

IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 09, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Oncocyte Corporation (NYSE American: OCX), a molecular diagnostics company with a mission to provide actionable answers at critical decision points across the cancer care continuum, today announced plans to present data at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) 2020 Virtual Conference on its test, DetermaIO™. These data indicate that DetermaIO can identify viable treatment pathways for many cancer patients who are resistant to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).

In the United States alone, it is estimated that up to 750,000 patients annually may be eligible to be treated with ICIs. Yet data indicates that only 12-40 percent of patients who receive ICI therapy respond favorably. That results in the significant need for a test like DetermaIO to predict whether patients are likely to respond to ICI therapy. In fact, likelihood of response is the principal clinical question driving the emerging $3B+ U.S. ICI therapy selection testing market. DetermaIO measures the tumor immune microenvironment to identify which patients are likely to respond to ICI therapy and which patients are likely to be resistant. To treat resistant patients, biopharmaceutical companies are developing next generation therapeutics that modulate the immune response in novel ways. The data being presented at SITC show that Oncocyte’s DetermaIO test may help biopharmaceutical companies identify patients in their clinical trials who may be more likely to respond to ICI therapy as they develop the emerging class of second-generation targeted and immune therapies.

Data to be presented at the SITC conference will show that DetermaIO may be able to identify subtypes of patients with a higher likelihood of responding to specific classes of therapeutics. That data will explore pathway analysis of DetermaIO in TNBC patients and NSCLC mouse models for immune targeted agents showing that DetermaIO may be able to identify subtypes of patients who are more likely to respond to specific classes of targeted therapeutics. DetermaIO is currently available for research use to support pharmaceutical trials of these second-generation drugs that are often developed in combination with ICI immunotherapies.

“These results have encouraged us to develop DetermaIO as a potential biomarker for therapeutics designed to overcome resistance to checkpoint inhibitors or to be used in combination with immunotherapies,” said Doug Ross, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer of Oncocyte. “We have previously shown data supporting the ability of DetermaIO to improve prediction of response to ICIs, and we are encouraged that these new data suggest that DetermaIO may also be useful in targeting alternative treatment options for ICI resistant patients.”

Details on Oncocyte’s poster presentation:

Title: Mesenchymal Features of a Novel 27-Gene Algorithm Associate with Canonical Tumor Promoting Signaling Pathways which may Identify Therapeutic Options for Immunotherapy Resistant Patients
Authors: Tyler J Nielsen, Rob S Seitz, Douglas T. Ross, David R. Hout, Brock L. Schweitzer

The poster will be on display beginning Monday, November 9 at 8:00 a.m. EST until the virtual poster hall closes on December 31, 2020. The poster will be formally presented on Wednesday, November 11 from 5:15-5:45 p.m. EST and Friday, November 13 from 4:40-5:10 p.m. EST.

About Oncocyte Corporation
Oncocyte is a molecular diagnostics company whose mission is to provide actionable answers at critical decision points across the cancer care continuum. The Company’s proprietary tests and pharmaceutical company services aim to save lives and improve outcomes by accelerating and optimizing the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The Company’s tests and services present multiple opportunities to advance cancer care while driving the growth of its revenue across four growth engines. Oncocyte recently launched DetermaRx™, a treatment stratification test that enables the identification of early-stage lung cancer patients at high risk for recurrence post-resection, allowing them to be treated when their cancer may be more responsive to adjuvant chemotherapy. Oncocyte also has launched, as a Research Use tool for Biopharma clinical trials, DetermaIO™, a gene expression test that identifies patients more likely to respond to checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapies. The Company’s pharmaceutical company services help pharmaceutical companies to develop new cancer treatments, many of which may be linked to Oncocyte’s diagnostic tests. The final growth engine is the recently licensed CNI test for blood based therapy monitoring in patients receiving immune therapy, which the company plans to launch as a Research Use tool for Biopharma clinical trials in 2021.

DetermaRx and DetermaIO are trademarks of Oncocyte Corporation.

Oncocyte Forward Looking Statements
Oncocyte cautions you that this press release contains forward-looking statements. Any statements that are not historical fact (including, but not limited to statements that contain words such as “will,” “believes,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “estimates,” “may,” and similar expressions) are forward-looking statements. These statements include those pertaining to the commercial launch of DetermaRx, development of DetermaIO, unexpected expenditures or assumed liabilities or other unanticipated difficulties resulting from acquisitions, implementation and results of research, development, clinical trials and studies, commercialization plans, future financial and/or operating results, and future opportunities for Oncocyte, along with other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects expressed by management. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, the potential impact of COVID-19 on our financial and operational results, risks inherent in the development and/or commercialization of potential diagnostic tests or products, uncertainty in the results of clinical trials or regulatory approvals, the capacity of our third-party supplied blood sample analytic system to provide consistent and precise analytic results on a commercial scale, potential interruptions to our supply chain, the need and ability to obtain future capital, maintenance of intellectual property rights, and the need to obtain third party reimbursement for patients’ use of any diagnostic tests we commercialize, and risks inherent in acquisitions such as failure to realize anticipated benefits, unexpected expenditures or assumed liabilities, unanticipated difficulties in conforming business practices including accounting policies, procedures and internal controls, greater than estimated allocations of resources to develop and commercialize technologies, or failure to maintain any laboratory accreditation or certification. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements and accordingly such statements should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect the business of Oncocyte, particularly those mentioned in the “Risk Factors” and other cautionary statements found in Oncocyte’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings, which are available from the SEC’s website. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they were made. Oncocyte undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made, except as required by law.

Investor Contact
Bob Yedid
LifeSci Advisors, LLC
646-597-6989
bob@lifesciadvisors.com

Media Contact
Cait Williamson, Ph.D.
LifeSci Communications, LLC
646-751-4366
cait@lifescicomms.com

FAQ

What is DetermaIO and its purpose for OCX in cancer therapy?

DetermaIO is a test by Oncocyte designed to identify effective treatment pathways for cancer patients resistant to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), particularly in NSCLC and TNBC.

When will Oncocyte present data about DetermaIO at the SITC 2020 conference?

Oncocyte will present DetermaIO-related data at the SITC 2020 conference from November 9 to December 31, with formal presentations on November 11 and 13.

What market need does DetermaIO address for cancer patients?

DetermaIO aims to address the significant need for predictive tests in the $3B ICI therapy selection testing market, as only 12-40% of ICI patients respond favorably.

What types of cancer patients can benefit from DetermaIO testing?

DetermaIO testing can benefit patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) who are resistant to immune checkpoint inhibitors.

What are the benefits of DetermaIO for pharmaceutical companies?

DetermaIO may help pharmaceutical companies identify patients more likely to respond to clinical trials involving emerging second-generation immune therapies.