Parsortix CTCs used for ADC target assessment

• Independent and peer-reviewed study published in The Journal of Liquid Biopsy

Guildford, UK and Plymouth Meeting, USA - 3 August 2026 - CelLBxHealth plc (AIM: CLBX), a CTC intelligence company specialising in innovative circulating tumour cell (CTC) solutions for use in research, drug development and clinical oncology, announces the publication of a peer-reviewed study in The Journal of Liquid Biopsy demonstrating the feasibility of using the Parsortix® platform to detect antibody-drug conjugate (ADC)-relevant targets on CTCs isolated from patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).

Key Study findings

Independent researchers at Trinity College Dublin and St James's Hospital, Dublin, used the Parsortix® system to isolate CTCs from blood samples taken from patients with metastatic TNBC and advanced EOC. The study demonstrated the feasibility of detecting clinically relevant ADC targets on Parsortix-enriched CTCs. Key findings include:

• TROP-2, the target of the approved ADC sacituzumab govitecan (used in TNBC), was detected on CTCs from TNBC patients - including cells with low levels of EpCAM, a surface marker that conventional CTC platforms rely upon for cell capture and would therefore miss
• FRα, the target of the approved ADC mirvetuximab soravtansine (used in ovarian cancer), was successfully detected on CTCs from all three ovarian cancer patients in the study
• PD-L1, an immune checkpoint marker relevant to combination immunotherapy strategies, was also detectable alongside TROP-2 on the same CTCs in the same workflow

A key result from the study was the detection of ADC-relevant targets on Parsortix®-enriched CTCs, including TROP-2 on cells with low EpCAM expression. This is particularly relevant in aggressive cancers such as TNBC, where CTCs may show reduced EpCAM expression or mesenchymal-like features associated with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. By enabling detection of ADC-relevant targets on EpCAM-low CTCs, the study supports the technical differentiation of Parsortix® for biomarker workflows designed to assess heterogeneous CTC populations.

Lavanya Sivapalan, PhD, CelLBxHealth Chief Scientific Officer, , commented:

"This publication, conducted by a leading centre, demonstrates the potential of the Parsortix® platform to support assessment of clinically relevant ADC targets on CTCs. Antibody-drug conjugates are transforming the oncology treatment landscape, and the ability to evaluate target expression from a blood sample could become an important tool for future therapy monitoring workflows. This is strongly aligned with the Company's revised strategy to focus on high-value CTC applications in research, drug development and translational oncology."

ADCs and the need for real-time target monitoring

ADCs are a rapidly growing class of cancer treatments that deliver a potent cytotoxic payload directly to cancer cells via a targeted antibody. Several ADCs are now approved by regulators in the US and Europe for breast and ovarian cancer, with many more in clinical development. Today the ADC therapeutic market represents a $17 billion global opportunity. A key challenge with ADC therapies is that their effectiveness depends on cancer cells displaying the relevant target on their surface, and target expression can vary between patients and may further change as cancer evolves or develops resistance to treatment. Current tissue-based assessment provides an important but often static snapshot of target expression. Minimally invasive CTC-based workflows may provide a complementary approach for monitoring changes in target expression over time and could represent a significant advance for patients and clinicians.

The peer-reviewed manuscript is available online: Henderson B.D. et al. (2026). A workflow for assessing antibody-drug conjugate target expression on circulating tumor cells from triple-negative breast cancer and epithelial ovarian cancer patients. The Journal of Liquid Biopsy, 13, 100479.