"Testing could lead to extension of life through improved clinical decisionmaking by identifying patients who need to switch from targeted hormonal therapy to chemotherapy  NEW YORK and SAN DIEGO June   PRNewswire  An international team of researchers from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center MSK Epic Sciences The Institute of Cancer Research UK and London Health Sciences Centre Canada have shown that a blood test can identify patients with metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer mCRPC who may live longer if they switch from targeted androgen receptorsignaling inhibitor ARSi therapy such as enzalutamide and abiraterone to taxanebased chemotherapy. This independent multicenter blinded study is one of the first studies to validate that a liquid biopsy test can predict therapeutic response and demonstrate a survival benefit. The blood test called Oncotype DX ARV Nucleus Detect http is commercially available in the U.S. through Epic Sciences partnership with Genomic Health Inc. NASDAQ GHDX httpstudio.financialcontent.comprnewsPageQuoteTickerGHDX. The research was published online today in JAMA Oncology httpjamanetwork.comjournalsjamaoncologyfullarticle.jamaoncol... This liquid biopsy test addresses a critical unmet need at a decision point in management to predict and select the therapy that is most likely to extend a patients life said Howard Scher M.D. who led the study and is the cochair Center for Mechanism Based Therapy and Head of the Biomarker Development Initiative at MSK. During the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer physicians will now be able to use ARV status to determine when a patients cancer has become resistant to androgen receptor directed therapy and will respond better to chemotherapy enabling the patient to live longer. This blinded fouryear study followed  mCRPC patients who were treated at MSK The Royal Marsden or the London Health Sciences Centre. Blood samples were obtained prior to treatment with ARSi therapy or chemotherapy and tested with a validated assay for the nuclearlocalized androgen receptor splice variant ARV protein in circulating tumor cells. The results were that patients positive for ARV who were treated with taxanebased chemotherapy had superior overall survival OS relative to those treated with ARSI therapy median OS . vs. . months. Importantly patients negative for ARV who were treated with ARSi therapy had superior OS relative to those treated with taxanes media OS . vs. . months. Additionally the authors validated the test within a prognostic risk group to ensure that the biomarker effect was due to the biomarker rather than other clinical variables.    We developed this test specifically to address a significant clinical question in metastatic prostate cancer that previously had no clear answer which treatment should be pursued next This question weighs heavily on doctors and patients but now with the Oncotype DX ARV test we can provide them the confidence to know whether continuing with hormonal therapy or switching to chemotherapy will result in better survival outcomes said Ryan Dittamore chief of medical innovation at Epic Sciences and a coauthor on the study. In addition the survival benefit gained through the utilization of our ARV test could make the test as valuable to a patients outcome as a blockbuster cancer drug. This is the second blinded multicenter clinical utility validation study utilizing the nuclearlocalized ARV test.  Earlier this month Dr. Andrew Armstrong of Duke Cancer Institute presented data validating the test in the PROPHECY clinical trial at the ASCO  Annual Meeting httpabstracts.asco.orgAbstView__.html. The PROPHECY study investigated the ARV test in patients receiving ARSi therapy and demonstrated that patients who tested positive had worse survival by all measures and had no clinical benefit from ARSi therapy.   In March of this year based upon earlier studies utilizing the test Palmetto GBA a Medicare Administrative Contractor that assesses molecular diagnostic technologies issued a draft local coverage determination LCD https for the Oncotype DX ARV Nucleus Detect test.  A full LCD for the test is expected in the upcoming months and would support Medicare reimbursement for applicable patients considering ARSI or taxane therapies.  It is estimated that  patients a year may be eligible for and benefit from the Oncotype DX ARV Nucleus Detect test. The paper is entitled Assessment of the Validity of NuclearLocalized Androgen Receptor Splice Variant  in Circulating Tumor Cells as a Predictive Biomarker for CastrationResistant Prostate Cancer. About the Oncotype DX ARV Nucleus Detect Test Designed by Epic Sciences and based on results from multiple studies led by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center the Oncotype DX ARV Nucleus Detect test is the first and only liquid biopsy test of its kind that can potentially prolong the lives of men with metastatic castrationresistant prostate cancer mCRPC by helping their physician identify the most effective treatment. Through a blood draw the test detects ARV protein in the nucleus of circulating tumor cells utilizing Epic Sciences No Cell Left Behind platform to accurately identify patients who are resistant to androgen receptor ARtargeted therapies and who should instead switch to chemotherapy. The Oncotype DX ARV Nucleus Detect test will be performed by Epic Sciences at its centralized CLIAcertified laboratory in San Diego and offered exclusively by Genomic Health. To learn more about the Oncotype DX ARV Nucleus Detest test visit  http and watch this video https to learn more. About Epic Sciences Epic Sciences Inc. is developing novel diagnostics to personalize and advance the treatment and management of cancer. Epic Sciences mission is to enable the rapid and noninvasive detection of genetic and molecular changes in cancer throughout a patients journey. The company was founded on a powerful platform to identify and characterize rare cells including circulating tumor cells. Epic Sciences No Cell Left Behind technology helps match patients to therapies and monitor for drug resistance so that the best treatment path can be chosen at every clinical decision point. Epic Sciences has partnered with Genomic Health to commercialize the Oncotype DX ARV Nucleus DetectTM http test which helps with therapeutic decisions between taxane chemotherapy or androgendirected therapeutics in metastatic castrateresistant prostate cancer. Today we partner with leading pharmaceutical companies and major cancer centers around the world. Epic Sciences goal is to increase the success rate of cancer drugs in clinical trials and improve patient outcomes by providing physicians realtime information to guide treatment choices. Epic Sciences is headquartered in San Diego. Further information is available on the Companys website  http Stay in touch on Linkedin https on Twitter EpicSciences http or on Facebook.comEpicSciences. https Epic Sciences Media Contact Jessica Yingling Ph.D. Little Dog Communications Inc. jessicalitldog.com mailtojessicalitldog.com ... SOURCE Epic Sciences Inc. Related Links https"