ASCO Presentations Showcase Utility of Caris Molecular Intelligence in Cataloging Disease Biomarkers in Gastrointestinal, Hepatic, Gynecologic and Renal Cancer Subtypes
IRVING, Tex., May 29, 2015 – Caris Life Sciences®, a leading biotechnology company focused on fulfilling the promise of precision medicine, today announced the presentation of data from five studies that demonstrate the clinical utility of Caris Molecular Intelligence®, the company’s panomic comprehensive tumor profiling service, in helping to identify targeted treatment options for patients with rare and/or aggressive tumors. In each of the studies, results of which are to be presented in poster sessions at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago, Ill., multi-platform tumor profiling via Caris Molecular Intelligence enabled cataloging of biomarkers as potential therapeutic targets in various subtypes of gastrointestinal, hepatic, gynecologic and renal cancers.
Caris Molecular Intelligence is a multi-platform tumor profiling service that includes gene sequencing (Next-Generation Sequencing [NGS] and Sanger), protein expression analysis (Immunohistochemistry [IHC]), and gene copy number and translocation analysis (Chromogenic or Fluorescence in situ Hybridization [CISH or FISH]). Investigators used these methods to examine tumor samples for patterns of biomarker expression that may yield insights into selection of novel therapeutic options for patients with rare and/or aggressive cancer subtypes.
“Although research advances have enhanced our understanding of rare and aggressive cancer subtypes, patients living with these malignancies have few therapeutic options,” said Sandeep K. Reddy, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Caris Life Sciences. “The latest cataloging analyses demonstrate that Caris Molecular Intelligence can facilitate the molecular characterization of these subtypes, as well as the identification and selection of treatment regimens that specifically target the biomarkers detected in individual patients’ tumors.”
Anal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Study
In a June 1 poster discussion (abstract # 33519), researchers described how Caris Molecular Intelligence was used to identify potential therapeutic targets based on detection and analysis of biomarkers in 212 cases of anal squamous cell carcinoma (ASCC), a rare, human papilloma virus (HPV)-associated malignancy that accounts for 2% of digestive system cancers. “Usually, anal squamous cell carcinomas are detected early and successfully managed with chemoradiation, but in some cases these cancers recur or present with metastases, a setting in which few endorsed regimens exist,” explained lead investigator Patrick M. Boland, M.D., Assistant Professor of Oncology at the Roswell Park Cancer Center in Buffalo, N.Y. “With multi-platform molecular profiling, we identified several potential targets, some of which may be addressed with treatment options not routinely considered in this population.”
Dr. Boland and colleagues reported overexpression of the MRP1 (97.6%), EGFR (89.7%), topoisomerase 1 (TOPO 1; 68.3%), and MGMT proteins (67.2%) in a majority of ASCC samples, as detected via IHC, which also documented overexpression of the tumor suppressor protein PTEN in 46.9% (90/192) of specimens. The ligand to the programmed cell death receptor 1 (PD-L1) was not expressed in any of the 24 samples examined via IHC. CISH/FISH analysis revealed amplification of the EGFR and HER2 genes in 7.4% (5/68) and 1.8% (2/111) of cases, respectively. The investigators observed relatively high mutation rates in biomarkers associated with the PIK3CA/Akt pathway; these included PIK3CA (26.8%, 26/97), FBXW7 (11.8%, 8/68), PTEN (3.1%, 2/64), and Akt1 (1.5%, 1/68). They detected PIK3CA exon 9 mutations in 82% of all PIK3CA mutations, while also identifying point mutations in other genes, including a few co-occurring mutations.
“Mutations in PIK3CA, Akt1, and FBXW7, along with PTEN loss, indicate a potential for targeting the PI3 kinase pathway in patients with anal squamous cell carcinoma,” noted Dr. Boland. “Targeting the ErbB-family receptors, namely with anti-EGFR agents or newer-generation pan-HER inhibitors, may represent another option, given EGFR and HER2 amplification as well as EGFR overexpression. Finally, differences in anal carcinomas whose etiology is of viral origin may present different treatment options based on the driver mutations. All of these molecular characteristics represent intriguing areas for future research.”
Other ASCO Presentations in Rare/Aggressive Cancer Subtypes
The 2015 ASCO meeting features several other presentations in which researchers used Caris Molecular Intelligence to identify potential therapeutic targets in rare and/or aggressive cancer subtypes with limited treatment options:
About Caris Life Sciences®
Caris Life Sciences® is a leading biotechnology company focused on fulfilling the promise of precision medicine through quality and innovation. Caris Molecular Intelligence®, the company’s healthcare information and comprehensive tumor profiling service with more than 70,000 patients profiled, provides oncologists with the most clinically actionable treatment options available to personalize cancer care today. Using a variety of advanced profiling technologies to assess relevant biological changes in each patient’s tumor, Caris Molecular Intelligence connects biomarker data generated from a tumor with biomarker-drug associations supported by evidence in the relevant clinical literature. Since 2009, Caris has tracked clinical and outcome data for certain patients undergoing tumor molecular profiling, for which Caris has observed that patients treated with drugs consistent with their molecular profile show a significant increase in overall survival. The company is developing its Carisome® TOP™ technology, a revolutionary and proprietary blood-based platform for the development of novel therapeutics, drug delivery and drug target identification. The technology is also being developed for diagnosis, prognosis, and theranosis of cancer and other complex diseases. Headquartered in Irving, Texas, Caris Life Sciences offers services throughout Europe, the U.S., Australia and other international markets. To learn more, please visit www.CarisLifeSciences.com.
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