Biocept, Inc. announced the expanded commercial availability of CNSide for patients with metastatic melanoma. Previously validated for lung, breast, and all other carcinomas, Biocept's CNSide is a proprietary CSF assay designed to better detect and inform treatment decisions for patients with metastatic cancers involving the central nervous system (CNS). The new CNSide for melanoma assay uses a novel antibody cocktail optimized for the capture of melanoma cells based on unique cellular characteristics.

This assay represents a significant development in the field of neuro-oncology related diagnostics. It is believed to be the first CLIA-validated assay designed for the quantitative identification of melanoma cells in CSF. Melanoma is the third most common tumor type involved in CNS metastasis, with more than 60% of Stage IV melanoma patients developing CNS metastasis from their disease.

Overall survival expectancy is low and patient management can be challenging due in part to diagnostic limitations. CNSide addresses a high unmet clinical need, as current standard of care approaches--CSF cytology and MRI imaging--have limited sensitivity for detecting CNS metastasis and are not adequate to assess the response to therapy. CNSide can also help identify molecular biomarkers considered targets for novel therapy approaches.

Combined, these features help clinicians answer three key questions for patients with CNS metastasis: Is there t umor? Is there a target for treatment? Is there a trend or favorable response to treatment?.