Precede Biosciences presented new data at the AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research: Liquid Biopsy (LBx) 2024, showcasing the potential of its epigenomic liquid biopsy platform to predict treatment response in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). The study demonstrated the platform's ability to accurately quantify tumor PSMA (prostate-specific membrane antigen) expression from a simple blood draw and stratify patients' responses to Lutetium-PSMA therapy.
The research highlights the potential of a real-time, non-invasive blood test to determine tumor drug target expression and predict therapeutic response to Lutetium-PSMA. This is particularly significant given that PSMA-PET scans, currently required to confirm tumor PSMA expression for Lutetium-PSMA treatment, are not universally accessible.
Epigenomic Profiling for Therapy Selection
In addition to the Lutetium-PSMA findings, Precede Bio also presented an oral presentation titled, “Comprehensive epigenomic profiling from plasma to inform drug development, cancer biology, and therapy selection.” This presentation further emphasized the platform's broad applicability in cancer research and drug development.
Clinical Significance
According to Dr. Jacob E. Berchuck, Assistant Professor at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Lutetium-PSMA is an important FDA-approved treatment option for the estimated 120,000 men in the USA with advanced mCRPC. He noted that the study underscores the potential of epigenomic profiling from a blood draw to provide a real-time, non-invasive readout of PSMA expression that corresponds with treatment response.
Broader Implications for PSMA-Targeting Therapies
Rehan Verjee, Co-founder and CEO of Precede Bio, emphasized the broader implications of the findings, stating that the platform's ability to resolve target expression from a simple blood draw could play a crucial role in enabling the success of the more than 70 new medicines in clinical development against 25 cell surface targets, including PSMA.
