Angle makes 'good progress' with ANG-002 patient enrolment

(Sharecast News) - Liquid biopsy company Angle announced on Thursday that patient enrolment for its ANG-002 FDA clinical study for metastatic breast cancer had continued to make good progress.The AIM-traded firm said it was seeking to become the first-ever company to receive FDA clearance for a platform that captured and harvested intact circulating tumour cells from patient blood for subsequent analysis, being one of only three FDA-cleared liquid biopsy solutions.It said over 75% of the required 400 subjects - 200 metastatic breast cancer patients and 200 healthy volunteers of a similar age and demographic - had been enrolled into the study to date.While the enrolment of patients and analysis of results were being conducted by independent cancer centres and outside the control of the company, it did say that recent progress now suggested that both the clinical study and associated analytical studies would be completed by the end of the first quarter of the 2019 calendar year.Meanwhile, extensive analytical studies were reportedly continuing at Angle's own laboratories and at the participating clinical centres.As a result of that work, new insights into the 'Parsortix' system's rare cell capture and harvest capabilities had emerged that would apparently further differentiate the Parsortix system in the market."Our significant and sustained efforts to complete the clinical and analytical studies needed to support our FDA submission are progressing well," said Angle founder and chief executive officer Andrew Newland."We believe there is a tremendous opportunity for Angle to secure the first ever FDA clearance for a platform that captures and harvests intact circulating tumour cells from patient blood for subsequent analysis."This would be a key step in establishing the Parsortix system as the system of choice for CTC liquid biopsy, securing a leading position in the emerging multi-billion dollar liquid biopsy market."