TrovaGene Inks Partnership With University Of Michigan

TrovaGene Inc. (NASDAQ:TROV) is collaborating with the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center to conduct a multi-phased research program using Trovera KRAS ctDNA liquid biopsy test. The research program will utilize Trovera to early detect and monitor patient response to pancreatic cancer therapy.

Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related death in the U.S. The relative 1-year survival rate for patients with pancreatic cancer is only 28% while the 5-year survival rate is 8%. Moreover, stage IV pancreatic cancer has a 5-year survival rate of about 1%.

Although surgery is the only therapeutic means of cure, less than 20% are found fit to undergo resection, primarily due to late diagnosis of the disease. This is where Trovera – built upon TrovaGene’s Precision Cancer Monitoring (PCM) platform – has significant utility as it can rapidly detect KRAS gene mutation, which occurs in almost 90% of pancreatic carcinomas.

Moreover, according to Diane Simeone, M.D., director of the Pancreatic Cancer Center at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, “The Trovagene assay will allow us to quickly test multiple therapies to determine which one will be most effective in treating an individual patient's tumor."

The latest collaboration reflects TrovaGene’s focus on expanding the market opportunity for Trovera. The University of Michigan Cancer Center is one of only 45 centers in the U.S. to earn the National Cancer Institute's most coveted "comprehensive" designation. The University of Michigan is also one of the best hospitals in the U.S. for cancer treatment.

We believe collaboration with the likes of Stratose, Fortified Provider Network, Multiplan, FedMed and America's Choice Provider Network will help TrovaGene gain better market traction within a short span of time.

Further, it is to be noted that the company’s non-invasive, cell-free technology is cost efficient. We feel that the technology can be ancillary to the current standard of tissue biopsy. It can also be performed in patients not fit for a tissue biopsy. The latest collaboration will help the company penetrate the hospitals and cancer centers over the long haul.

However, inconsistent earnings results remain a major concern for the company. TrovaGene missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the last four quarters, with an average negative surprise of 15.2%. Ahead of its second-quarter earnings, estimates have remained steady at a loss of 36 cents over the last 7 days.

Zacks Rank & Key Picks

TrovaGene has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).

Better-ranked stocks in the broad medical sector include Abiomed (NASDAQ:ABMD) , Mesa Laboratories (NASDAQ:MLAB) and Masimo Corp (NASDAQ:MASI) . While both Abiomed and Mesa Laboratories sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Masimo carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).