Epic Sciences Partners with LabCorp to Accelerate European Clinical Sample Processing for Circulating Tumor Cell Technology

-- Agreement provides important access point to meet global demand for Epic's technology

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Epic Sciences (Epic) announced today an agreement with Laboratory Corporation of America® Holdings (LabCorp®) (NYSE: LH) to expedite sample processing for Epic's circulating tumor cell (CTC) technology to support European clinical trials. For Epic's clinical trial partners and customers, LabCorp's Central Laboratory in Mechelen, Belgium is able to quickly process samples, which will then be sent to Epic's GLP certified laboratory in La Jolla, CA for downstream detection and molecular characterization of CTCs. 

"To meet the global demand for Epic's circulating tumor cell technology, this partnership with LabCorp will provide an important access point for all European and Middle Eastern clinical trials sample processing, deposition and banking," said Murali Prahalad, Ph.D., president and CEO of Epic Sciences.  "Working with LabCorp, we have been able to rapidly validate our technology and expand our clinical trial services to Europe for our pharma partners and clinical trial customers."

"We are impressed with the diligence and thoroughness of the Epic team and how Epic's circulating tumor cell technology has swiftly matured to meet LabCorp's quality standards for process and reproducibility," said Dr. Steven M. Anderson, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Clinical Trials of LabCorp. "The ability to detect, quantitate and molecularly characterize circulating tumor cells will provide significant, actionable information in support of oncology clinical trials."

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are released from solid tumors and enter the bloodstream. Epic's CTC technology can isolate, count and characterize CTCs from a blood sample to provide an alternate way to identify appropriate patients for clinical trials, select optimal therapeutics given a particular cancer sub-type and understand treatment effectiveness, disease progression and metastatic risk. Epic is currently involved in 27 individual oncology clinical trials occurring around the world and is collaborating with its partners to create companion diagnostic products for oncology drug candidates. Epic's mission is to provide a better way to monitor and personalize cancer treatments.

About Epic Sciences

Epic Sciences, Inc. is a privately-held company that is developing new diagnostics to improve and personalize the treatment and management of cancer. Epic was founded on a powerful platform to identify and characterize rare cells, including circulating tumor cells (CTCs). Epic has partnered with leading pharmaceutical companies, major cancer centers, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to advance this technology to improve clinical oncology and cancer therapeutic development.

For more information, please visit http://www.epicsciences.com or follow on Twitter @epicsciences.  To learn more about Epic's partnering program and clinical trial services, please email cdx@epicsciences.com.