Biotech Values

[flatlander_60048]

Liquid Biopsy

You running a test to see if I'm still lurking?

In my opinion Next Generation Sequencing arena is getting pretty crowded. GH, Foundation and Grail have great financial backing and in the case of GH there is considerable euphoria. I still like BCART out of Brussels as a dark horse. Their system (Idylla) is a PCR IVD system that provides fast TAT at a fraction of the cost. The Jour of Clinical Pathology is drawing flowcharts that target Idylla usage in a First line analysis capacity with NGS run to resolve discordances, or to ID less common mutations. I've yet to see significant competitors despite the fact that BCART has partnerships and has launched globally. I think they are situated much the same way the Cepheid was positioned in infectious disease assays.

https://jcp.bmj.com/content/71/9/757

The availability of results within a 2 hours or so for a fraction of the current cost of NGS should mean there will be a place for Idylla. Their cartridge system can be used for solid or liquid. Although only ct KRAS, NRAS and BRAF have received EU marketing authorization for liquid biopsy.

BCART will be presenting at ASCO comparing their MSI cartridge results to the Promega MSI assay. Bristol Myers has partnered to use this cartridge for CDx for the Opdivo + Yervoy combination. BCART has a total of 5 CDx partnerships and I think the platform is ideal for the pharma company to get the jump on competition and introduce educational/marketing information at the time the genomic pathway is first diagnosed.

I'm also looking forward to the roll-out of OncoDx breast test on Idylla next year after the validation studies are completed. I sold all my GHDX to buy BCART since it should benefit extensively from the same news that gave me a 150% gain in GHDX.

Here is a recent BCART slideshow. I like the fact that BCART is currently flying under the radar while they launch globally. They have raised cash and will be pursuing FDA 510K approvals. This will enable the system to be used for clinical rather than research only use.

https://media.biocartis.com/biocartis-investors/documents/190509-BCART-Corporate-Presentation-9-May-2019.pdf

Regards
FL