NanoString Technologies Highlights Advances in Precision Oncology and Immunotherapy at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)

SEATTLE, June 02, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NanoString Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:NSTG), a provider of life science tools for translational research and molecular diagnostic products, today announced the highlights of numerous advances in precision oncology and immunotherapy using the nCounter® platform that will be presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).  

"For more than 50 years the American Society of Clinical Oncology has been pioneering cancer research and advancing the care of patients with cancer around the world," said Brad Gray, president and chief executive officer of NanoString Technologies. "We are proud to participate in the ASCO Annual Meeting and to have the opportunity to highlight the groundbreaking cancer research and diagnostic assays that are being enabled through the nCounter platform and our expanding portfolio of 3D Biology™ products."

More than 30 abstracts will be presented at the ASCO Annual Meeting, which is being held June 3^rd through June 7^th, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois, that demonstrate the value of the nCounter Platform.  In particular, several abstracts provide additional insights on the development and performance of NanoString’s investigational assays in development for immuno-oncology and lymphoma.

In immuno-oncology, NanoString and collaborators will present new details on nCounter-based assays under development for prediction of response to the checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab, including:

• An interferon-gamma gene signature was shown to predict response more accurately than PD-L1 IHC in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.  This research further demonstrates the power of gene expression profiling on the nCounter Analysis System as a biomarker in immuno-oncology. (Abstract #6010)
• An interferon-gamma gene signature and an expanded immune gene signature predicted response in five tumor types from the basket trial KEYNOTE-28, underscoring the potentially broad applicability of gene signatures in assessing patient response (Abstract #1536).
• Data on the development and analytical performance of an nCounter-based assay incorporating an immune-related gene signature to predict response to checkpoint inhibition in eleven different tumor types. The data show that this assay is robust and may be well-suited to clinical applications.  The signature is being evaluated as a predictive biomarker in multiple indications in several studies (Abstract #3034).

In lymphoma, NanoString and collaborators are presenting results generated using nCounter-based assays, including:

• An update on the ongoing ROBUST trial, a global pivotal phase 3 trial evaluating the addition of lenalidomide to R-CHOP therapy in untreated ABC-type Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) selected by NanoString’s investigational Cell-of-Origin assay.  The results show that real-time testing of Cell-of-Origin using nCounter is feasible in a multi-center, global study with turnaround time of less than 3 days, demonstrating that a decentralized gene expression test can be used to select patients for a clinical trial where rapid results are critical for enrollment (Abstract #7538).
• Independent validation of the nCounter-based Cell-of-Origin assay through comparison to subtyping using DNA microarrays. The assay proved to be highly efficient and reliable in an independent series of samples evaluated by a team of researchers not involved in the development of the assay.  This research highlights the high concordance between the NanoString assay and the conventional microarray method as well as the robustness and ease of use of the assay, which can be successfully deployed in laboratories around the world (Abstract #7547).   

The 2016 ASCO abstracts describe research and clinical applications that underscore the diverse capabilities and robust performance of the nCounter platform. The studies cover a wide range of cancers, tissue types (FFPE, peripheral blood and urine), and treatment modalities.

At the 2016 ASCO Annual Meeting, NanoString will showcase its nCounter platform and 3D Biology capabilities at booth #8151.

About NanoString Technologies, Inc.

NanoString Technologies provides life science tools for translational research and molecular diagnostic products. The company's nCounter® Analysis System has been employed in life sciences research since it was first introduced in 2008 and has been cited in more than 1,000 peer-reviewed publications. The nCounter Analysis System offers a cost-effective way to easily profile the expression of hundreds of genes, proteins, miRNAs, or copy number variations, simultaneously with high sensitivity and precision, facilitating a wide variety of basic research and translational medicine applications, including biomarker discovery and validation. The company's technology is also being used in diagnostics. The Prosigna® Breast Cancer Prognostic Gene Signature Assay together with the nCounter Dx Analysis System is FDA 510(k) cleared for use as a prognostic indicator for distant recurrence of breast cancer. In addition, the company is collaborating with multiple biopharmaceutical companies in the development of companion diagnostic tests for various cancer therapies, helping to realize the promise of precision oncology.

For more information, please visit www.nanostring.com.

The NanoString Technologies logo, NanoString, NanoString Technologies, nCounter, 3D Biology, and Prosigna are registered trademarks or trademarks of NanoString Technologies, Inc. in various jurisdictions.