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Pressure BioSciences and Leica Microsystems team up to co-market pivotal cancer workflow technology

Published: 11:32 30 Jun 2020 EDT

Pressure BioSciences, Inc. -
The global cancer biomarker market is forecasted to reach $136.5 billion by 2023

Pressure BioSciences Inc (OTCQB:PBIO) announced Tuesday it had signed a milestone agreement with Germany’s Leica Microsystems CMS GmbH to co-market technology that analyzes proteins from cancer biopsy samples.

The novel technology platform combines the Leica Laser Microdissection (LMD) system for precise excision of specific, minute sections of biopsy tissue with Pressure BioSciences’ Barocycler System based on the firm’s pressure cycling technology (PCT) for rapid protein extraction and digestion for sample preparation prior to mass spectrometry analysis.

The integrated biomarker discovery workflow quickly and efficiently collects tissue samples excised by the Leica LMD and then drops the samples into PBI's consumable MicroTubes for rapid PCT processing.

READ: Pressure BioSciences eyeing around $2.4 million in 1Q 2021 as it sells its first manufacturing run of BaroShear K45 systems

In a statement, the South Easton, Massachusetts-based company said the alliance is expected to offer “transformative new empowerment” to cancer research worldwide, by integrating the latest enabling technologies in capturing, isolating, and preparing precious biopsy samples for superior analysis of relevant biomarkers of disease state and treatment response.

Pressure BioScience CEO Richard Schumacher told shareholders the company was “delighted” to see PBI's PCT-based Barocycler system featured in a pivotal position in the tumor processing workflow.

“Based on results to date, we believe the number of laboratories worldwide performing laser microdissection followed by mass spectrometric analyses will increase at a steady and significant rate, that our Barocycler system will fulfill a critical part of this workflow, that our combined marketing and sales capabilities will result in increased market exposure and acceptance, and that the adoption of this novel new workflow should result in a measurable increase in Barocycler sales before the end of 2020,” Schumacher said in a statement.

Better understandng of tissue environment

The workflow was developed by acclaimed protein chemist Dr Thomas Conrads, senior director of women’s health research in the Inova Women’s Service Line and chief scientific officer of the Women’s Health Integrated Research Center at Innova Health System.

Integrating LMD, PCT, and mass spectrometry will improve understanding of the complex tissue microenvironment and better enable identification of new biomarkers and could lead to real improvements in certain types of cancers, according to Conrad.

Critical differences between tumor and non-tumor regions can only be deciphered by isolating specific, minute sections of the areas, Leica Microsystems’ head of application management Dr Falk Schlaudraff told investors.

“The combined LMD and PCT systems allow for this separation with high accuracy and speed,” Schlaudraff said. “Downstream molecular analysis of the different regions will be meaningful since they can be analyzed separately and not as a mixture.”

Multi-billion dollar market

For Pressure BioSciences, the ability to co-market the workflow offers the opportunity to extend the integrated LMD-PCT systems into additional research centers globally that are focused on clinical proteomics, cancer research, biomarker discovery, and precision medicine, according to the firm’s global director of sales and marketing Roxana McCloskey.

The global cancer biomarker market is forecasted to reach $136.5 billion by 2023.

Contact Angela at angela@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow her on Twitter @AHarmantas

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