Parsortix CTC Platform Demonstrates Feasibility for ADC Target Assessment in Breast and Ovarian Cancers
Key Insights
A peer-reviewed study shows the Parsortix platform can detect ADC-relevant targets TROP-2 (search) and FRα (search) on circulating tumor cells from TNBC and ovarian cancer patients.
TROP-2 (search) was detected on CTCs with low EpCAM (search) expression, which conventional capture platforms would miss, highlighting Parsortix's technical differentiation.
PD-L1 (search) was simultaneously detectable alongside TROP-2 (search) on the same CTCs in the same workflow, supporting combination immunotherapy monitoring.
CelLBxHealth plc (search) has announced the publication of a peer-reviewed study in The Journal of Liquid Biopsy demonstrating that its Parsortix platform can successfully detect antibody-drug conjugate (ADC)-relevant targets on circulating tumor cells (CTCs) isolated from patients with triple-negative breast cancer (search) (TNBC) and epithelial ovarian cancer (search) (EOC).
The study, conducted by independent researchers at Trinity College Dublin and St James's Hospital, Dublin, used the Parsortix system to isolate CTCs from blood samples taken from patients with metastatic TNBC and advanced EOC. The findings support the feasibility of using liquid biopsy-based CTC analysis for real-time monitoring of ADC target expression — a capability that could address a significant gap in current oncology practice.
Key Findings Across Two Cancer Types
The research yielded several notable results. TROP-2 (search), the target of the approved ADC sacituzumab govitecan used in TNBC, was detected on CTCs from breast cancer patients. Critically, TROP-2 was identified on cells with low levels of EpCAM (search), a surface marker that conventional CTC capture platforms rely upon for cell isolation and would therefore miss. This finding is particularly relevant in aggressive cancers such as TNBC, where CTCs may exhibit reduced EpCAM expression or mesenchymal-like features associated with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition.
In ovarian cancer, FRα (search) — the target of the approved ADC mirvetuximab soravtansine — was successfully detected on CTCs from all three ovarian cancer patients included in the study. Additionally, PD-L1 (search), an immune checkpoint marker relevant to combination immunotherapy strategies, was detectable alongside TROP-2 (search) on the same CTCs within the same workflow, demonstrating the platform's capacity for multiplexed biomarker assessment.
Addressing an Unmet Need in ADC Therapy
ADCs represent a rapidly growing class of cancer treatments that deliver potent cytotoxic payloads directly to cancer cells via targeted antibodies. Several ADCs are now approved by regulators in the US and Europe for breast and ovarian cancer, with many more in clinical development. The global ADC therapeutic market currently represents a $17 billion opportunity.
A key challenge with ADC therapies is that their effectiveness depends on cancer cells displaying the relevant target on their surface. Target expression can vary between patients and may change as cancer evolves or develops resistance to treatment. Current tissue-based assessment provides what the company describes as an important but often static snapshot of target expression. Minimally invasive CTC-based workflows may offer a complementary approach for monitoring changes in target expression over time.
Lavanya Sivapalan, PhD, CelLBxHealth Chief Scientific Officer, commented: "This publication, conducted by a leading centre, demonstrates the potential of the Parsortix platform to support assessment of clinically relevant ADC targets on CTCs. Antibody-drug conjugates are transforming the oncology treatment landscape, and the ability to evaluate target expression from a blood sample could become an important tool for future therapy monitoring workflows."
Broader Clinical Context
The publication comes as CelLBxHealth continues to expand the clinical application of its Parsortix platform. The company has separately entered into a collaboration with AdventHealth, one of the largest faith-based health systems in the US, for the use of Parsortix in two multi-centre studies — ACTION and SUNRISE — designed to advance minimally invasive cancer monitoring.
ACTION, an NIH-funded trial enrolling 219 patients, will examine how different levels of aerobic exercise influence chemotherapy tolerability in colon cancer. SUNRISE, due to begin in July 2026, will recruit 120 patients with gastrointestinal and lung cancers to evaluate whether remotely delivered exercise interventions can improve chemotherapy tolerance and quality of life. Across both studies, CTC analysis will serve as a correlative endpoint, with researchers using the platform for both enumeration and PD-L1 (search) characterisation.
The peer-reviewed manuscript is available online: Henderson B.D. et al. (2026). A workflow for assessing antibody-drug conjugate target expression on circulating tumor cells from triple-negative breast cancer (search) and epithelial ovarian cancer (search) patients. The Journal of Liquid Biopsy, 13, 100479.