FREDERICK, Md., April 22, 2009 — Ceres Nanosciences, LLLP, and National Cancer Institute contractor SAIC-Frederick, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Science Applications International Corporation (NYSE: SAI), have signed a collaboration agreement to assess Ceres’ nanotechnology-based system that can isolate scant amounts of substances in body fluids, with an eye toward developing tools for diagnosing cancer at the earliest possible stage when treatments are most effective.
Under the agreement, SAIC-Frederick laboratories will begin by assessing Ceres’ Nanotrap™ technology in an effort to identify from body fluids extremely low concentrations of steroid hormones.
The agreement was formed under the National Cancer Institute’s Advanced Technology Partnerships Initiative (ATPI), which aims to further NCI’s mission by rapidly translating the results of basic research into new tests and treatments for cancer patients. SAIC-Frederick, as prime contractor at the National Cancer Institute at Frederick, is facilitating ATPI partnerships for the government.
“The role that steroid hormones play in cancer continues to be a research area of great interest,” said Timothy Veenstra, Ph.D., Head of Laboratory Proteomics Analytical Technologies at SAIC-F. “Our intent in developing the Ceres Nanotrap™ is to increase the speed and accuracy with which samples can be processed and analyzed. This will lead to a better understanding of the role that steroid hormones play in cancer.”
“This collaboration with SAIC-F is an ideal match for Ceres,” said Ross Dunlap, Chief Operating Officer of Ceres Nanosciences. “It is aligned with our mission to develop an integral technology for more efficient and effective sample processing and disease diagnosis. We are very excited to partner with Dr. Veenstra’s team in support of the cancer research programs at SAIC-F.”
Ceres’ Nanotrap™ technology is a nanoparticle platform developed to better capture low-abundance biomarkers and protect them from degradation. The Nanotrap™ collection process, coupled with existing clinical diagnostic platforms, has the potential of significantly improving efficiency, reliability, sensitivity and accuracy of a wide range of critical diagnostic processes. This may improve diagnosis of diseases, including cancer, at their earliest stages.
About Ceres Nanosciences, LLLP
Ceres Nanosciences, LLLP is a privately held company focused on the development of diagnostic products using its unique and proprietary Nanotrap™ capture particle technology. Ceres’ business goals are to develop a number of commercial applications of the Nanotrap™ for high-demand diagnostics and other needs in the life science industry.
About SAIC-Frederick
SAIC-Frederick, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), a Fortune 500® company, is the operations and technical support contractor for the National Cancer Institute’s research and development center in Frederick, Md. This is a national laboratory dedicated to rapidly translating basic research into new technologies for diagnosing, treating, and preventing cancer and AIDS. SAIC-Frederick maintains a full suite of advanced technologies in areas such as nanotechnology, genomics and imaging; operates the federal government’s only drug and vaccine manufacturing facilities; operates the high-performance Advanced Biomedical Computing Center; and supports more than 300 clinical trials for patients in the United States and around the world.
Information about the NCI’s Advanced Technology Partnerships Initiative can be found at ATPIhome.com
