EPIC SCIENCES

Company Overview

Epic Sciences is developing and marketing blood-based diagnostics for characterizing CTCs for cancer detection and personalized medicine and monitoring applications.

Epic’s CTC platform enables analysis of biomarkers in specific CTC populations including testing of AR-V7, Ar-N term, PSMA, ER, and PR, together with a variety of phenotypic or morphological analyses.

Epic Sciences is partnered with Genomic Health in the marketing of the Oncotype DX AR-V7 Nucleus Detect test. The test, offered through Epic Sciences laboratory, analyzes AR-V7 expression in the nuclei of CTCs.

In March 2018, the Medicare contractor Palmetto GBA issued a favorable draft LCD for the AR-V7 test, meaning that, if finalized, the LCD would extend coverage of this test to 25,000 Medicare patients with advanced prostate cancer.

Clinical studies have shown that patients with AR-V7-positive CTCs have superior overall survival when treated with taxane chemotherapy versus androgen signaling inhibitors. Those who were AR-V7 negative at baseline had superior overall survival with hormonal treatment. These studies enable physicians to use AR-V7 status to decide when a patient’s cancer has become resistant to androgen receptor-directed therapy and respond better to chemotherapy.

In September 2020, Epic Sciences began a collaboration with Q2 Solutions, a clinical trial laboratory services company, to offer Illumina’s TruSight Oncology 500 liquid biopsy test to Epic’s pharmaceutical customers. This extended Epic’s Comprehensive Cancer Profiling service for CTC analysis.

In October 2020, Epic Sciences partnered with Predicine to combine ctDNA (provided by Predicine) and CTC (provided by Epic) analysis for a single liquid biopsy test. The testing will be offered to the biopharmaceutical industry. The combination of both approaches allows pharmaceutical partners to measure both genotypic and phenotypic markers from a single blood draw when doing clinical trials.

In November 2020, Epic Sciences formed a partnership with USC Michelson Center; Epic Sciences was given access to the center’s liquid biopsy samples and use of technology for in-depth characterization of cell-free fractions and circulating tumor cells.

Company's Business Segments

• Liquid Biopsy Platform : Cell Analysis capabilities, Cell-free analysis
• CAP/CLIA-Accredited Laboratory : Laboratory and research support services
• Define MBC : Detection of circulating tumour cells, Assessment of HER-2 Cellular protein, Assessment of ER cellular protein, Plasma-based 56 gene panel of cell-free DNA