Biocept, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIOC)
Biocept has had a tough time in the market recently. However, I don’t believe that the declines we’ve seen over the past several months have been justified. The reality is that the company has done something that’s absolutely incredible and it’s likely to have big implications in the world of oncology in the future. They’ve come up with a liquid biopsy. Today, we’ll talk about what liquid biopsies are and why I believe Biocept is likely to become incredibly profitable as a result of liquid biopsies. So, lets get right to it…
What Is A Liquid Biopsy?
Liquid biopsies, as developed by Biocept, are tools doctors can use to find out if their patients have cancer – just like tissue biopsies. However, there is a big difference between a liquid biopsy and a tissue biopsy. You see, tissue biopsies require surgery. This means that they are incredibly invasive. On the other hand, we have liquid biopsies, which are biopsies that can be done using a blood sample rather than a tissue sample. As a result, liquid biopsies are less invasive and will likely be in more demand as time moves on.
Biocept has been working for several years to perfect the art of liquid biopsies. The idea here is that cancer cells are mutated. Therefore, by looking for cells in the blood with mutations, Biocept can see if a patient has cancer or if a cancer patient in remission is likely to realize a recurrence of the condition. However, it doesn’t stop there.
Biocept has found that every type of cancer causes a mutation of the cells. Moreover, they’ve also been able to pinpoint several different types of mutations, and which cancers they belong to. For instance, breast, colon, and stomach cancers all cause very specific mutations to the cells. Therefore, by pinpointing these mutations in a blood sample, Biocept has the ability to let the patient know exactly what type of cancer they have.
Nonetheless, the technology is still in a developmental stage. After all, there are far more than three types of cancer. So, as time passes, Biocept will be working to find more bio-markers that indicate that specific types of cancer are present.
How Is This Profitable?
Think about it – lets say you’re a patient and your symptoms are relative to cancer. To figure out if you have cancer, you’ll need to undergo several different types of tests, which can include body scans, tissue biopsies, and far more. Wouldn’t you rather simply give a blood sample? I know that I would. This also plays a major role in treating patients that are in remission. It’s very important for doctors to catch recurrences of cancer quickly. This helps them properly treat the patient. Catching recurrences too late can mean the difference between life and death. Biocept has found a way to catch recurrences before they are generally picked up in any other way. Through their liquid biopsies, they can determine if the patient’s cancer is likely to come back. Therefore, it behooves cancer patients to have a blood biopsy done every few months to ensure that their cancer is gone and that if it comes back, they catch it quickly. All in all, this is incredible technology and there’s no reason the company won’t be able to profit off of it. Also with current declines on the stock, it’s trading at a big discount. Therefore, now just may be the time to buy.