ALISO VIEJO, Calif., Feb. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Clarient, Inc. , a technology and services resource for pathologists, oncologists and the pharmaceutical industry, announced that it has been granted a new U.S. patent related to the detection and quantification of rare tumor cells in blood and bone marrow. The patent specifically covers Clarient’s technology related to rare cell detection technology, with claims covering any system for finding rare tumor cells that uses magnification change, automation and color space transformation.
The patent, No. 7,177,454, granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, contains both device and method claims and is entitled, “Automated Detection of Objects in a Biological Sample.”
Clarient’s proprietary methods are capable of identifying one target cell among millions of cells, which make it possible to perform such detection and quantification tests in a lab setting.
Richard J. Cote, M.D., Director of the Laboratory of Immunology and Molecular Pathology at University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and Chairman of Clarient’s Scientific Advisory Board, said, “This patent relates to a very interesting and emerging segment of cancer diagnostics. There is gathering scientific evidence indicating that circulating tumor cell activity can be an early indicator or a predictor of cancer recurrence as well as a monitoring tool to determine whether a cancer treatment regimen is working and determine if changes in a treatment program may be necessary.”
Clarient President and CEO Ron Andrews said, “Automated rare cell detection may become enormously valuable as a monitoring tool in the fight against cancer. Our access to intellectual property in this area enhances our commercial opportunity in this emerging field. Our lab experience in rare-event detection combined with our proprietary access to a strong portfolio of intellectual property positions us well for commercialization of novel markers for cancer diagnosis, prognosis and therapy selection.”
About Clarient
Clarient combines innovative technologies with world class expertise to assess and characterize cancer. Clarient’s mission is to provide technologies, services and the critical information to improve the quality and reduce the cost of patient care as well as accelerating the drug development process. The Company’s principal customers include pathologists, oncologists, hospitals and biopharmaceutical companies.
The Company was formed in 1996 to develop and market the ACIS(R) Automated Cellular Imaging System, an important advance in slide-based testing. The rise of individualized medicine as the new direction in oncology led the Company in 2004 to expand its business model to provide the full range of leading diagnostic technologies such as flow cytometry and molecular testing in-house, creating a state-of-the-art commercial cancer laboratory and providing the most advanced oncology testing and drug development services available. Clarient is a Safeguard Scientifics, Inc. partner company. For more information, visit www.clarientinc.com.
About Safeguard
Safeguard Scientifics, Inc. builds value in high-growth, revenue-stage information technology and life sciences businesses. Safeguard provides growth capital as well as a range of strategic, operating and management resources to our partner companies. The company participates in expansion financings, corporate spin-outs, management buyouts, recapitalizations, industry consolidations and early-stage financings. For more information about Safeguard, please visit www.safeguard.com.
The statements herein regarding Clarient, Inc. contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainty. Future events and the Company’s actual results could differ materially from the results reflected in these forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such a difference include, but are not limited to whether circulating tumor cell activity can be established as a predictor of cancer and/or an effective monitoring tool, the Company’s ability to develop and commercialize novel markers, the Company’s ability to compete with other technologies and with emerging competitors in rare cell detection; the Company’s ability to continue to develop and defend its intellectual property; dependence on third parties for collaboration in developing novel markers, and risks detailed from time to time in the Company’s SEC reports, including quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, reports on Form 8-K and annual reports on Form 10-K. Recent experience with respect to laboratory services, new contracts for instrument sales, revenues and results of operations may not be indicative of future results for the reasons set forth above.
The company does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements or other information contained in this document.
Contact: Matt Clawson John Baldissera Allen & Caron, Inc. BPC Financial Marketing (949) 474-4300 (800) 368-1217
Clarient, Inc.
CONTACT: Matt Clawson of Allen & Caron, Inc., +1-949-474-4300, forClarient, Inc.; or John Baldissera of BPC Financial Marketing,+1-800-368-1217, for Clarient, Inc.
Web site: http://www.clarientinc.com/
