WEST CHESTER, PA, Jan. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - DiagnoCure Inc. , a life sciences company commercializing high-value cancer diagnostic tests, and its subsidiary, DiagnoCure Oncology Laboratories based in West Chester, PA, near Philadelphia will exhibit at the American Society of Clinical Oncology - The Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium (ASCO GI) beginning tomorrow January 25th in Orlando, Florida. The Company will familiarize attendees with the science behind its Previstage(TM) GCC Colorectal Cancer Staging Test. The ASCO GI symposium is a major meeting of surgeons, oncologists, radiologists and other clinical specialists who focus on treating patients with colorectal and other cancers of the gastrointestinal tract.
Previstage GCC identifies the expression of the guanylyl cyclase C (GCC) gene, a biomarker that is normally found exclusively in the intestine. Extensive research conducted by Dr. Scott Waldman at Thomas Jefferson University has determined that when the expression of GCC mRNA is detected outside of the intestine (such as in the lymph nodes), it is a highly sensitive, early indication that colorectal cancer has spread. The Previstage GCC test employs RT-PCR technology, which has been shown to be up to 100,000-times more sensitive than traditional histopathology in detecting occult metastases. The technology can detect one cancer cell in up to 10 million cells, versus one in 200 normal cells with traditional methods. The Previstage GCC test should provide clinicians a significantly more sensitive tool than traditional histopathology review alone for staging a patient with colorectal cancer and therefore may help the physician determine the most appropriate course of treatment.
“We are very excited to begin educating the important audience at the ASCO GI meeting about the relevant science behind Previstage GCC,” stated John Schafer, President and CEO of DiagnoCure. “We look forward to bringing this test to market to potentially help both clinicians and patients make even more confident decisions with regards to colorectal cancer treatment and whether a patient requires chemotherapy after surgery.”
DiagnoCure Oncology Laboratories will be the only facility to offer the Previstage GCC Colorectal Cancer Staging Test. The Company’s target is for its Pennsylvania-based laboratory to be CLIA certified and begin exclusively offering this high-value diagnostic test for the staging of colorectal cancer in the second half of 2008.
About Previstage(TM) GCC
Staging a patient with colorectal cancer is crucial because it determines the patient’s course of treatment. Current standard of care requires that pathologists examine microscopically a thin slice of tissue from each of 12 or more lymph nodes harvested during the patient’s surgery to see if cancer has spread beyond the intestine. Currently as many as 30% of patients with no pathologically-positive lymph nodes (stage I and II cancers) later return with recurrent disease, presumably through occult metastases that have escaped detection. Most of these patients do not receive additional therapies such as chemotherapy. Previstage GCC aims to provide clinicians a significantly more sensitive tool for staging a patient with colorectal cancer.
Strong early data supported the potential importance of the GCC test in improving the staging of colorectal patients. This resulted in the National Cancer Institute sponsoring a prospective clinical trial of GCC testing in approximately 1,000 colorectal cancer patients conducted over five years. This study has been completed and the Company’s collaborators at Thomas Jefferson University will be presenting the results of the study at major medical conferences later this year.
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 is currently preparing to launch the Previstage(TM) GCC Colorectal Cancer Staging Test, the first GCC-based molecular test for the management of colorectal cancer. In 2003, the Company entered into a strategic alliance with Gen-Probe for the development and commercialization of a second-generation test for PCA3, DiagnoCure’s proprietary molecular marker highly specific to prostate cancer. The test is now available through laboratories in the U.S. using PCA3 analyte specific reagents (ASR) from Gen-Probe, and in Europe as the CE-marked PROGENSA(TM) PCA3 in vitro assay. In addition to its own research, the Company intends to acquire or in-license additional promising cancer biomarkers from both academic and commercial institutions. For more information visit www.diagnocure.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.
CONTACT: DiagnoCure Inc.: John C. Schafer, President and Chief Executive
Officer; Paule De Blois, Vice President, Corporate Affairs, (418) 527-6100,
communications@diagnocure.com; U.S.: Karen Sparks, Mentus Life Science,
(858) 455-5500 X275, Karen@mentus.com; Canada: Jean-Pierre Trudel,
Jean-Pierre Trudel & Associates, (514) 347-6111, jp.trudel@videotron.ca
