CellBxHealth, the company specialising in circulating tumour cell (CTC) solutions, has presented encouraging results on cell visualisation and biomarker analysis, which could shape antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) therapy. 

The results, presented at the World ADC conference in San Diego, US, demonstrate successful cell visualisation and biomarker analysis across ADC targets HER2, TROP2 and PSMA. 

CellBxHealth collaborated with Roche Tissue Diagnostics for the proof-of-concept study, combining CellBxHealth’s Parsortix platform with Roche Tissue Diagnostics’ BenchMark ULTRA automated IHC staining platform. The blood samples were successfully processed and shipped to Roche Tissue Diagnostics’ site for automated immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis.  

For all biomarkers, the BenchMark ULTRA automated IHC staining was compatible with CelLBxHealth’s manual immunofluorescent staining workflow. 

“It is well known that targeted treatments that utilise biomarkers improve patient outcomes,” said Peter Collins, Chief Executive Officer of CellBxHealth.  

“As such, this study highlights the importance of targeted antigen expression on CTCs and their relevance for potentially guiding ADC therapy selection in real-time.” 

The ADC market continues to grow rapidly, driven by the need for targeted, effective treatments with fewer side effects. Integrating CTC-based biomarker assessment into ADC development and clinical use could help optimise patient selection and improve outcomes.  

CTCs are considered better biomarkers than circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) for selecting patients for ADC treatment primarily because CTCs allow for the direct analysis of the target protein expression on the cell surface, a critical requirement for ADC efficacy. 

“CellBxHealth believes these results highlight CTCs as accessible, dynamic biomarkers in oncology,” Collins added.  

“Leading experts believe that CTCs are poised to add clinical utility to the metastatic landscape.” 

Bruno Quinney, Content Team, DDW