Commercial Launch of Liquid Biopsy Test for Detection of Prostate Cancer Is Announced

Amit Kumar, PhD

Amit Kumar, PhD

The Cchek Prostate Cancer Confirmation test (Cchek PCC)—which utilizes artificial intelligence (AI), flow cytometry, and liquid-biopsy technology to detect prostate cancer—will be commercially launched, according to Anixa Biosciences, Inc., developer of the test. Once it becomes available, this test will reduce the need for expensive and invasive biopsy procedures to diagnose patients with prostate cancer in certain patients.

“In the coming months, we expect to conduct a number of activities to support the marketing of Cchek PCC, including the development of marketing materials, education of key opinion leaders in urology, and development of a reimbursement path for the test,” Kumar concluded. “We expect Cchek PCC to be broadly available throughout the United States by April 2020.”

The test will be offered as a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments program­—validated test through ResearchDx, a partner laboratory of Anixa Biosciences, Inc. ResearchDx independently validated the test and designed it to confirm the need for prostate biopsy. The test should minimize unnecessary and invasive procedures, as well as reduce healthcare costs that are typically associated with traditional methods for diagnosing prostate cancer, as well as associated adverse events.

Over 90% of prostate biopsies performed in the United States are negative, which demonstrates a large population of men that undergo unnecessary testing annually which can often be painful, expensive, and anxiety-provoking. The Cchek PCC test will reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies by 40% to 50%, and the test will be able to accurately identify patients who require a biopsy for the diagnosis of prostate cancer.

“This is a major milestone for Anixa and our partner-based business model,” Amit Kumar, PhD, chief executive officer of Anixa Biosciences, said in a statement. “From the start, our goal with Cchek has been to develop an inexpensive blood test that accurately detects the existence of cancer by measuring the body’s immune response.”

Cchek PCC, an early cancer detection technology, measures immunological responses to a malignancy by analyzing the immune system cells in peripheral blood. A patient’s cancer status could be determined by a blood draw, which would ultimately mitigate the need for the expensive, painful, and invasive biopsy procedures.

Accepted methods of detecting prostate cancer tend to lack accuracy and reliability. However, Cchek PCC utilizes flow cytometry and AI to provide an alternative method that is more affordable, effective, and efficacious. This test has demonstrated its ability to detect up to 20 different cancer types, including lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and breast cancer.

Reference:

Anixa Biosciences announces commercial launch of Cchek^TMProstate Cancer Confirmatory test [news release]. San Jose, CA: Aniza Biosciences, Inc; December 16, 2019. bit.ly/2Z2vauO. Accessed December 18, 2019.