Angle makes important step in cancer technology

Angle's 90%-owned portfolio company, Parsortix, which specialises in medical diagnostics, has used its cell separation device to successfully capture circulating tumour cells (CTCs) in cancer patient blood.

The Parsortix separation technology has already been used to capture cultured breast cancer cells, prostate cancer cells and lung cancer cells added to blood (spiked blood), but it is only now that the technology has been used in actual cancer patient blood.

The firm sees the experimental findings as encouraging and believe they support the potential to develop a successful research and clinical cancer diagnostic product.

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Pasortix now plans to validate the separation device for other cancer types, particularly those where the existing antibody affinity capture technology is unable to capture CTCs, such as ovarian cancer. In addition, the separation device will be modified to allow its easy use in the laboratory

The device can potentially be used in the early detection of cancer, the monitoring of cancer patients undergoing treatment, and for the post-treatment monitoring of cancer patients in remission.

Angle Founder and Chief Executive, Andrew Newland, said: "The successful capture of CTCs in cancer patient blood is a tremendous step forward towards our goal of establishing the Parsortix separation technology as a market-leading product, which is simple, effective and affordable."

The share price rose 10.67% to 83p by 14:41.

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