SAN DIEGO, Aug. 6, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Biocept, Inc. (Nasdaq: BIOC ), a molecular oncology diagnostics company specializing in Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) and Circulating Tumor DNA (ctDNA) biomarker analysis, today announced that Amy McNeal has joined the Company as Senior Director of Managed Care and Reimbursement Strategies.
Ms. McNeal brings to Biocept more than 15 years of experience in the diagnostic laboratory industry where she has held leadership roles in both sales and business development, with the last seven years focused on reimbursement strategies and managed care contracting. She joins Biocept from GE Healthcare where she was Manager of the North American Managed Care unit. McNeal was responsible for growing diagnostic services sales and reimbursement through contract agreements with national and regional managed care organizations , independent physician associations and other payor groups.
Prior to GE Healthcare, Ms. McNeal was Executive Director of Sales and Contracting at Pathology, Inc., a specialty women's health laboratory. While at Pathology Inc, she added more than 20 new health plan agreements across the U.S., propelling the Company's expansion into new markets with increased access to insurance networks. Prior to Pathology, Inc., Ms. McNeal led health plan contracting efforts for Quest Diagnostics.
Michael W. Nall, President and CEO of Biocept, said, "Amy's robust experience as a managed care expert will be essential as we add agreements and partnerships with healthcare providers and medical facilities. Amy is passionate about cultivating strategic partnerships and increasing patient access to vital services as evidenced by her success at GE Healthcare, where she increased overall health plan coverage by 40 percent. She did this by developing key relationships, establishing reimbursement strategies and leading contract negotiations. We are thankful to have Amy join our team as we work to expand coverage for liquid biopsy solutions, including our commercialized product OncoCEE-BR™ for breast cancer, as well as for upcoming solutions for lung, colorectal, melanoma, prostate and other solid tumors."
"Joining Biocept is an exciting opportunity as industry trends continue to reinforce personalized medicine as a key element in the future of oncology treatment and monitoring. The Company's liquid biopsy, used to measure predictive biomarkers in CTCs and ctDNA, enables healthcare providers and independent physicians to obtain diagnostic information necessary to individualize their patients' treatment through a simple blood test, filling a current void in cancer monitoring," said Ms. McNeal. "I look forward to working with the team toward our goal of increasing patient and physician access to Biocept's potentially lifesaving diagnostics."
McNeal earned her Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine University and her Bachelor of Business and Administration from the California State University, San Bernardino.
About Biocept, Inc.
Biocept, Inc., headquartered in San Diego, California, is a commercial stage oncology diagnostics company focused on providing information on patients' tumors to physicians using its proprietary technology platform to help improve individual patient treatment. Biocept has developed proprietary technology platforms for capture and analysis of circulating tumor cells and circulating tumor DNA utilizing a standard blood sample to provide physicians with important prognostic and predictive information to enhance individual treatment of their patients with cancer. Biocept currently offers its OncoCEE-BR TM test for breast cancer and plans to introduce tests for lung, colorectal, prostate and other solid tumors based on its proprietary technology platforms.
Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer Statement
This release contains forward-looking statements that are based upon current expectations or beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions about future events. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements and the assumptions upon which they are based are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations and assumptions will prove to have been correct. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by the use of words like "may," "will," "should," "could," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "believe," "intend," or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. To the extent that statements in this release are not strictly historical, including without limitation statements as to medical trends, adding agreements and partnerships with healthcare providers and medical facilities, reimbursement coverage and anticipated product introductions, such statements are forward-looking, and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, as these statements are subject to numerous risk factors as set forth in our SEC filings, including without limitation our need to grow our business and our operations, our need for capital, and the effects of reimbursement limitations and other health care statutory and regulatory initiatives. The effects of such risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in this release. Readers are advised to review our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which can be accessed over the Internet at the SEC's website located at www.sec.gov
Investor Contact: The Ruth Group David Burke/Lee Roth (646) 536-7009 / (646) 536-7012 / Media Contact: The Ruth Group Melanie Sollid-Penton (646) 536-7023
