OncoMethylome Sciences S.A. Shares Jump After Licensing Deal With Veridex, LLC

Liege (BELGIUM) – December 13, 2006, 8:00am CET – OncoMethylome Sciences (Euronext: ONCO) announced today that it successfully completed the initial research activities of its urine-based prostate cancer test, and that the test has been licensed to Veridex LLC, a Johnson & Johnson company.

The test, which uses urine as the patient sample, is being developed to improve the current process for prostate cancer screening. For men, prostate cancer is the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Tests that screen for prostate cancer today, such as the PSA test, are commonly criticized by the medical community for their inaccuracy. Up to 75% of the men who are recommended for a prostate biopsy procedure based on their elevated PSA levels have negative biopsy results. At the same time, the PSA test misses cancer in many men with the disease. OncoMethylome’s methylation test is a sensitive DNA test designed for detecting prostate cancer cells that are shed from the prostate gland into urine. This urine-based test has the potential to improve the current prostate cancer screening process.

This novel urine test is the second molecular diagnostic test licensed from OncoMethylome by Veridex. The first test, licensed in 2005, is a tissue-based test for prostate cancer detection. Under the terms of the new license agreement, Veridex takes over product commercialization responsibilities of the urine test, including the development of the test kit, and receives the exclusive worldwide right to sell the test. In return, OncoMethylome receives an upfront milestone payment, and qualifies for royalty payments, as well as additional sales-related milestone payments.

Herman Spolders, CEO of OncoMethylome Sciences commented “The new licensing deal with Veridex is another step towards making high-quality molecular diagnostics available to cancer patients, which is OncoMethylome’s ultimate goal. The deal is also important for us because it confirms market interest in our innovative products and demonstrates our ability to develop relationships with strong distribution partners.”

About Prostate Cancer Screening Prostate cancer, the second leading cause of cancer-related death in men, is curable if caught early. Although screening of men beginning at age 50 (>75 million in the US and Europe) with Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test and the Digital Rectal Exam (DRE) has led to earlier diagnosis in many, the usefulness of these tests has been called into question by many healthcare professionals who are concerned about the accuracy of current tests. The PSA test is known to return false positive results up to 75% of the time, while at the same time still missing some cancers in men. A recommendation has been proposed to lower the PSA cut-off so as to reduce number of missed cancers, but the recommendation has been met with resistance because it would likely also further increase the already large number of false positive findings that lead to unnecessary biopsies. Given these challenges, novel and more accurate tests are needed to improve the prostate cancer screening regimen.

About Methylation Methylation is a natural control mechanism that regulates gene expression in DNA. Abnormal methylation of certain genes, such as tumor suppressor genes, can silence gene expression and is often associated with cancer development. OncoMethylome owns proprietary technology that is highly sensitive and capable of detecting cancer in early stages of cancer development. In the case of prostate cancer, this technology identifies methylation at genes that have been shown to be associated with prostate cancer.

About OncoMethylome Sciences OncoMethylome Sciences (Euronext Brussels: ONCOB; Euronext Amsterdam: ONCOA) is a molecular diagnostics company developing patent-protected gene methylation tests to assist physicians in effectively detecting and treating cancer. Specifically, the company’s tests are designed to help the physician (i) accurately detect cancer in early stages of cancer development, (ii) predict a patient’s response to drug therapy, and (iii) predict the likelihood of cancer recurrence.

OncoMethylome boasts a broad product development pipeline consisting of nine products and a solid partnering record. The company collaborates with leading international molecular oncology research centers, such as The Johns Hopkins University, and has a number of commercial and collaborative partnerships with Veridex LLC, a Johnson & Johnson company, Schering-Plough Corp., Chemicon International Inc., and EXACT Sciences Corp. OncoMethylome’s products are based on methylation technology invented by Johns Hopkins University (USA).

Established in January 2003, OncoMethylome has offices in Liege and Leuven (Belgium), in Durham, NC (USA), and in Amsterdam (the Netherlands).

For more information please contact: Lucija Turcinov Tel. +32-479-801-902 Lucija.Turcinov@oncomethylome.com

or visit www.oncomethylome.com

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