Clearbridge BioMedics Launches the ClearCell(R) FX System at ASCO 2014

CHICAGO, May 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Clearbridge BioMedics will launch its ClearCell^® FX System at the upcoming American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2014 Annual Meeting. This is Clearbridge BioMedics' next-generation device that is able to isolate and capture circulating tumour cells (CTCs)[1] from a blood sample. This is crucial for both research and clinical purposes, as CTCs play a significant role in metastasis, which is the main cause for cancer mortality. By understanding the genetic make-up of CTCs, researchers and clinicians can make better decisions in developing effective treatments for specific groups of patients. The ClearCell^® FX System will enable these decisions. The ClearCell^® FX System will be showcased at the ASCO exhibition, at booth 5048, from 30 May to 3 June in Chicago.

"At Clearbridge BioMedics, we aim to bring clarity to cancer, by allowing each and every patient to benefit from timely, tailored treatment. Now that the system is commercially available for research purposes, we shall continue to move rapidly in getting the system ready for clinical diagnostics applications. Real-time monitoring of a patient's CTCs allows clinicians to develop the best treatment at the right time. By matching treatments to the patient, they benefit from optimal treatment outcomes, with fewer negative side-effects and lower costs," explained Mr Johnson Chen, Managing Director, Clearbridge BioMedics.

With this launch, the ClearCell^® FX System is available for cancer research applications, helping researchers make new medical advances. It uses biomechanical properties to isolate CTCs. This is a label-free method, resulting in wholly-intact and viable CTCs, making it ideal as a research and clinical tool. The robust, fully-automated system will seamlessly integrate with downstream assays and molecular diagnostic tests, making it simple to use, saving both time and manpower requirements. It is highly sensitive and enables researchers to achieve reproducible results. The use of the ClearCell^® FX System will help cancer researchers better study CTCs and potentially develop new cancer treatments and study cancer metastasis biology. With the ClearCell^® FX System, a quick and simple blood draw may provide clinicians and researchers with real-time monitoring of the patients' cancer progression. This is critical as cancers are complex, heterogenous and constantly evolving with each subsequent treatment and over time. 

The ClearCell^® FX system is already being used by the Circulating Tumour Cell Centre of Research Excellence (CTC CoRE), a collaboration that began in January 2014, between Clearbridge BioMedics, National Cancer Centre Singapore and the Pathology Department at the Singapore General Hospital.

"The ClearCell FX System allows us to reproducibly retrieve CTCs from a routine blood test, opening up new possibilities for applying molecular diagnostic tests that have become crucial in managing cancer patients," noted Dr. Daniel Tan Shao Weng, Consultant, Division of Medical Oncology at the National Cancer Centre Singapore. "Beyond improving patient stratification, such minimally invasive tools provide unique vistas into studying the characteristics of cancer cells in circulation.  It is anticipated that the CTC CoRE will bring together state-of-the-art microfluidic technologies, next generation molecular diagnostics, and cutting edge clinical science – ultimately to improve cancer care."

Clearbridge BioMedics partnered with Cambridge Consultants, a leading product development firm, on the development of the ClearCell^® FX system. Cambridge Consultants helped to translate Clearbridge Biomedics' design into a commercial prototype, which was then sent for manufacturing in Singapore. The ClearCell^® FX System has achieved ISO 13485 certification and obtained the CE mark. Clearbridge BioMedics will commence marketing the ClearCell^® FX system internationally from June 2014 onwards and is seeking distribution partners in the U.S. and across Europe.

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About Clearbridge BioMedics
 - Bringing clarity to cancer
Clearbridge BioMedics specialises in novel platforms with applications in oncology research and diagnostics. It is a National University of Singapore (NUS) spinoff company that is committed to developing medical devices, which will impact the world and revolutionise cancer diagnostics and patient care, by leveraging on ground-breaking technology from research partners.

The ClearCell™ System comprises patent-pending CTChips®, which are microfluidic biochips able to effectively detect, isolate and also retrieve wholly-intact CTCs (Circulating Tumor Cells) from small quantities of patient blood samples. The isolated CTCs can then be stained for identification and enumeration, or retrieved for further molecular analysis. The ClearCell™ System aims to be the next generation of non-invasive "liquid biopsy" approach for cancer screening, diagnosis, staging, personalised medication, and treatment monitoring. Headquartered in Singapore, Clearbridge BioMedics currently has customers spanning Asia, Europe and North America. www.clearbridgebiomedics.com

[1] CTCs are cells that have detached from a primary tumour and are circulating in the blood stream. They are rare, with only a few CTCs mixed with billions of blood cells per millitre of blood. They are also known to be the 'seeds' for subsequent growth of new tumours.

SOURCE Clearbridge BioMedics