CTCs,” Prahalad says. Because the technology is so comprehensive, and because it can be used to analyze blood samples relatively quickly, Prahalad says there is a huge opportunity to use Epic’s technology in clinical trials to tell early on whether a particular cancer drug is working, or if the CTCs are showing signs of drug resistance.
“Cancer is an evolving and adaptive disease,” Prahalad says, but he contends that Epic’s approach offers the best way “to see how the disease responds to specific anti-cancer drug regimens and how the tumor evolves.”
As a result, the company says its technology could be used to monitor cancer treatments, providing “actionable” information at every clinical decision point. For its clinical and pharma partners, Epic says it provides a report that enumerates and analyzes CTCs, providing quantitative protein biomarker analysis and single-cell genomic analysis by next generation sequencing or fluorescent in situ hybridization. The company’s commercialization plan calls for establishing federally-certified clinical laboratories to provide independent testing services, including companion diagnostics that would be used to better match cancer tests to disease subtypes. Prahalad plans to use the latest round of financing to expand development of Epic’s labs in the United States.
Earlier this year, Epic Sciences said it will collaborate with Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (NYSE: [[ticker:LH]]) to support European clinical trials by expediting sample processing. LabCorp’s central laboratory in Mechelen, Belgium, would quickly process samples for Epic’s clinical trial partners and research customers and send them to Epic’s San Diego laboratory for CTC quantification and analysis.
Epic also plans to use the proceeds to automate its technology and carry out additional clinical studies needed to seek regulatory approval for a medical device.
The company raised $13 million in a previous round from Domain, Roche, and Pfizer Venture Investments. In the company’s statement today, Domain partner Kim Kamdar, who sits on Epic’s board, says: “Epic has consistently expanded its commercial partnerships to develop new companion diagnostics, demonstrated the clinical utility of Epic’s technology across a broad range of cancers, extended the capabilities of the core technology platform and attracted top talent to thoughtfully advance the company.”
