Tessera, Inc Release: New Blood Test For Early Detection Of Prostate Cancer

SEATTLE, May 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Tessera Inc., a Seattle-based biomedical company is, in collaboration with Dr. Robert Getzenberg, Director of the Brady Urological Research Institute at Johns Hopkins University, developing blood tests for both prostate and colon cancer and expects to commence clinical trials on EPCA (Early Prostate Cancer Antigen), its first blood test for prostate cancer, before the end of this year.

Dr. Getzenberg's initial study on the EPCA prostate cancer blood test has been published in the May 15, 2005 issue of Cancer Research. In the study, the EPCA protein was measured in the plasma of 46 individuals, including prostate cancer patients, healthy individuals, other cancer patients, spinal cord injury victims and patients with prostatitis. Sensitivity of the EPCA assay for prostate cancer patients was 92% while the overall specificity was 94%. Specificity for the healthy donors was 100%.

"This new blood test (EPCA), when coupled with PSA screening, may help reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies and undetected prostate tumors," said Getzenberg. "In addition to being highly sensitive to prostate cancer, the EPCA blood test is also very specific to it, meaning that other cancers and benign prostate conditions are not detected, thus boosting doctors' confidence that a positive EPCA test is really a sign of prostate cancer," added Getzenberg.

Multi-site clinical trials will soon be underway to verify EPCA's usefulness for detecting prostate cancer in a larger sample of patients in preparation for an FDA clearance submission.

According to Dr. Getzenberg, "Our ultimate objective is to differentiate between aggressive and non-aggressive forms of prostate and colon cancer. Through our collaboration with Tessera over the past three years, we are making significant progress toward the achievement of this important goal."

Six weeks ago Tessera announced the release of its first product, EPCA IHC, for use in pathology labs on tissue samples taken in prostate biopsies, as an aid in detecting cancer in biopsy samples which otherwise appear to be normal. EPCA IHC was also developed in collaboration with Dr. Getzenberg. Tessera expects to launch a similar pathology test for colon cancer within the next year.

About Tessera, Inc.

Tessera, Inc. (Seattle, WA) was incorporated in 2000 as a biomedical company committed to the discovery and commercialization of products for the early detection of prostate and colon cancer. Through its licensing arrangements with both Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh, Tessera has obtained exclusive, worldwide rights to the use and development of more than 60 protein markers for the early diagnosis of these cancers as well as for drug screening and "in vivo" imaging. Under a Contract Research Agreement, Tessera funds the discovery and development of these markers in Dr. Getzenberg's laboratory at Johns Hopkins. EPCA is the first of potentially many early cancer detection markers to be developed and commercialized by Tessera.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements related to Tessera's EPCA products and its other research and development programs. These forward-looking statements are based upon Tessera's current expectations. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Tessera's actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of these risks and uncertainties, which include, without limitation, risks that neither Tessera nor its collaboration partners will not be able to commercialize its product candidates if preclinical studies do not produce successful results or clinical trials do not demonstrate safety and efficacy in humans; if third parties do not manufacture the Company's product candidates in sufficient quantities and at an acceptable cost, clinical development and commercialization of its product candidates would be delayed; use of third-party manufacturers may increase the risk that the Company will not have adequate supplies of its product candidates; if third parties on whom the Company relies do not perform as contractually required or expected, the Company may not be able to obtain regulatory approval for or commercialize its product candidates; the Company is dependent upon collaborative arrangements to complete the development and commercialization of some of its product candidates, and these collaborative arrangements may place the development of its product candidates outside its control, may require it to relinquish important rights or may otherwise be on terms unfavorable to the Company; and if the Company is not able to obtain required regulatory approvals, the Company will not be able to commercialize its product candidates. You should not place undue reliance on these forward looking statements, which apply only as of the date of the press release. Tessera expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in its expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based.

CONTACT: Tessera, Inc. Michael C. Perry Investor and Media Relations 206-223-2714 mperry@tesserainc.com

CONTACT: Michael C. Perry of Tessera, Inc., +1-206-223-2714, ormperry@tesserainc.com

Web site: http://www.tesserainc.com/