Biocept, Inc. and Plus Therapeutics, Inc. have entered a non-exclusive licensing agreement expanding their existing laboratory services. Under this new deal, Plus will pay Biocept an upfront fee of $150,000 in stock and $6,000 per cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tumor cell enumeration analysis. Once the technology transfer is complete, Plus will pay $300,000 plus fees starting at $2,800 for each CNSide test.

Licensing Agreement Highlights

The licensing agreement focuses on Biocept’s proprietary CNSide, a CSF-based tumor cell capture and enumeration platform. This technology aids in diagnosing and monitoring leptomeningeal metastases (LM), cancer affecting the membranes around the brain and spinal cord. Plus Therapeutics will employ CNSide in their ongoing clinical trial involving their targeted radiotherapeutic for treating LM.

Payment and Technology Transfer

Biocept’s President and CEO, Antonino Morales, stated, “We are gratified that Plus continues to recognize the value of CNSide in leptomeningeal metastases disease management.” Morales adds that Plus will reimburse Biocept $6,000 per enumeration before the technology transfer, which “more than covers our costs and potentially sets the stage for reimbursement at a similar level in future arrangements.”

Clinical Trial Phase and FDA Approval

Plus Therapeutics is currently utilizing CNSide in its ReSPECT-LM Phase 1/2a dose-escalation clinical trial, which recently completed its Phase 1/Part A and received FDA approval to move to Phase 1/Part B. Marc H. Hedrick, President and CEO of Plus Therapeutics, considers the CNSide test as “the emerging gold standard for the definitive diagnosis and follow up of patients with LM.”

Implications and Future Prospects

The agreement potentially sets the stage for Biocept to negotiate third-party exclusivity for a $1,000,000 payment. It also validates CNSide’s utility in leptomeningeal metastases and can attract more companies developing treatments for central nervous system cancer, according to Morales. Plus has already seen favorable preliminary safety and efficacy results, fortifying CNSide’s role in cancer diagnostics.

  Antonino Morales, Biocept, CNSide, leptomeningeal metastases, Marc H. Hedrick, Plus Therapeutics, USA