QUEBEC CITY and WEST CHESTER, PA, April 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - DiagnoCure, Inc. , a life sciences company commercializing high-value cancer diagnostic tests and delivering laboratory services, has appointed Ms. Valerie Palmieri as President of DiagnoCure Oncology Laboratories, the U.S. subsidiary of DiagnoCure, Inc. Ms. Palmieri brings to DiagnoCure more than 25 years of experience in the laboratory industry, including executive positions responsible for laboratory services, business strategic planning, cost management, quality, customer retention and operations management.
Ms. Palmieri held several executive positions at DIANON Systems and Laboratory Corporation of America. While leading operations for the anatomic pathology, genetics and esoteric clinical pathology businesses, Ms. Palmieri played an instrumental role in driving growth and optimizing profitability. In other executive positions, Ms. Palmieri led implementation of a company-wide customer retention program, successfully integrated two major acquisitions, and launched several new diagnostic services and products. For the past year, Ms. Palmieri served as a consultant with Momentum Consulting, which specializes in healthcare solutions.
Dr. Yves Fradet, President and Chief Medical Officer of DiagnoCure, Inc., commented on the selection of Ms. Palmieri for this critical role. “Hiring Valerie Palmieri as President of our U.S. laboratory operations completes and strengthens the enterprise reorganization that we implemented in February. She brings to our U.S. operations top expertise and key industry leadership experience in laboratory services. She will work with John Schafer, who heads our U.S. commercial operations, to grow DiagnoCure Oncology Laboratories into a self-sustained, profitable laboratory services business.”
“I’m very enthusiastic about the opportunity ahead of us,” stated Valerie Palmieri, President of DiagnoCure Oncology Laboratories. “Coupling my lab industry experience with DiagnoCure’s proprietary portfolio and network will allow us to create scalable, comprehensive Disease Management Programs that give physicians better insights into each patient’s situation and options. The initial focus will be colorectal cancer disease management centered around our Previstage(TM) GCC Colorectal Cancer Staging Test. Our goal is to become the laboratory of choice for colorectal specialists nationwide.”
Dr. Edith Mitchell, Clinical Professor of Medicine and Medical Oncology and Program Leader in Gastrointestinal Oncology at Thomas Jefferson University and a member of DiagnoCure’s Strategic Advisory Board, sees the appointment of Ms. Palmieri as a positive development for the oncology community. “The Company’s Previstage(TM) GCC serves a unique need among surgeons and oncologists by helping us decide which stage II patients to treat based on molecular detection of metastases in the lymph nodes. Building from that strong base to develop a colorectal disease management program could be a very strong asset for physicians, and Valerie Palmieri brings the laboratory and executive leadership experience that such an endeavor will require.”
About DiagnoCure
DiagnoCure is a life sciences company commercializing high-value cancer diagnostic tests and delivering laboratory services that increase clinician and patient confidence in making critical treatment decisions. DiagnoCure Oncology Laboratories, a subsidiary of DiagnoCure, Inc., launched in 2008 the Previstage(TM) GCC Colorectal Cancer Staging Test, the first GCC-based molecular test for the management of colorectal cancer. A major study published in the February 18, 2009, edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association demonstrated that GCC, to which DiagnoCure owns exclusive worldwide diagnostic rights, is the strongest independent predictor of colorectal cancer recurrence. More clinical studies are underway to confirm the clinical utility of the Previstage(TM) GCC test. The Company has a strategic alliance with Gen-Probe for the development and commercialization of a second-generation prostate cancer test using PCA3, DiagnoCure’s proprietary molecular marker. This test is available through laboratories in the U.S. using PCA3 analyte specific reagents (ASR) from Gen-Probe, in Europe as the CE-marked PROGENSA(R) PCA3 in vitro assay, and in Canada. A clinical study aimed at securing FDA approval for the commercialization of the PROGENSA(R) PCA3 test in the U.S. is underway. For more information, visit www.diagnocure.com and www.diagnocurelabs.com
Forward-looking statements
This release contains forward-looking statements that involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expected. By their very nature, forward-looking statements are based on expectations and hypotheses and also involve risks and uncertainties, known and unknown, many of which are beyond DiagnoCure’s control. As a result, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements regarding the outcome of research and development projects, clinical studies and future revenues are based on management expectations. In addition, the reader is referred to the applicable general risks and uncertainties described in DiagnoCure’s most recent Annual Information Form under the heading “Risk Factors”. DiagnoCure undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements contained herein unless required by the applicable securities laws and regulations.
CONTACT: Investors: Frederic Boivin, Sr. Director, Finance and
Administration, DiagnoCure, Inc., (418) 527-6100,
communications@diagnocure.com; Media: Paule De Blois, MBA, Sr. Vice
President, Operations, DiagnoCure, Inc. (Canada), (418) 527-6100; Linda
Torelli, Associate Director, Marketing Communications, DiagnoCure Oncology
Laboratory (U.S.), 1-877-701-9007
