Biodesix Announces VeriStrat(R) Outcomes Data in Lung Cancer to be Presented at IASLC/ESMO 2nd European Lung Cancer Conference

BROOMFIELD, Colo., April 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Biodesix today announced  that results from the VeriStrat biomarker analysis of a Phase III clinical trial will be presented by David Carbone, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Medicine and Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, on Friday, April 30th at the 2nd European Lung Cancer Conference to be held in Geneva, Switzerland.  The purpose of the study was to evaluate the ability of VeriStrat to predict patient outcomes to epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) therapy in previously treated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.

VeriStrat, a blood-based proteomic test, is currently used by physicians to help them guide treatment for patients with previously treated advanced NSCLC.  The test identifies patients who are likely to have good or poor survival outcomes following treatment with EGFR-TKIs, such as erlotinib.  VeriStrat has been previously studied in a large, 460 patient, multinational study, along with other Phase II studies.

The Phase III data will be presented at the IASLC/ESMO Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, on Friday, April 30th at 5:45 PM GMT.  For more information on the location of the presentations, visit www.esmo.org.

About NSCLC:  As reported by the American Cancer Society, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the US.  NSCLC represents approximately 87% of lung cancer.  An estimated 215,000 new cases of lung cancer and 162,000 deaths due to lung cancer occurred in the US in 2008.  Treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and targeted biological therapies such as bevacizumab (Avastin®) and erlotinib (Tarceva®).  Less than 5% of advanced NSCLC patients survive for 5 years, emphasizing the need for improved patient selection to maximize drug efficacy.  

About VeriStrat:  VeriStrat is a pretreatment, serum test for patients with advanced NSCLC.  The test identifies patients who are likely to have good or poor outcomes after treatment with EGFRIs.  Samples are processed in Biodesix' CLIA accredited laboratory and results are typically reported within 72 hours of sample shipment.  VeriStrat has been validated in clinical studies with over 1000 patients.  Biodesix is engaging in additional studies to further validate the test and to explore the clinical utility of VeriStrat in other solid epithelial tumors and with other EGFRIs.  For more information on VeriStrat or to order VeriStrat, visit www.VeriStratSupport.com or call the VeriStrat Support Hotline at 1-866-432-5930.

About Biodesix:  Biodesix is a fully integrated molecular diagnostic company developing products that support excellence in clinical decision making and improve patient care.  The Company's goal is to give physicians more information to understand the patient and their disease.  Understanding the clinically meaningful information contained within each patient's molecular profile leads to better care and better outcomes.  The Company's unique approach is based on ProTS®, proprietary technology which exploits the power of mass spectrometry and enables the discovery of specific molecular profiles that can be used to better characterize the patient and their disease. Biodesix collaborates with investigators to address key clinical questions, and partners with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies for development of companion diagnostics and improved targeting of therapies in clinical trials.  For more information about Biodesix, please visit the Company's website at www.Biodesix.com.

This press release contains statements that are hereby identified as "forward-looking statements" for purposes of the safe harbor provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are based on management's current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results and performance could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of many factors, including, without limitation, the Company's inability to further identify, develop and achieve commercial success for products and technologies; the risk that the Company's financial resources will be insufficient to meet the Company's business objectives; uncertainties relating to the regulatory approval process and changes in relationships with strategic partners. We disclaim any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Biodesix