MARLBOROUGH, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--EXACT Sciences Corporation (NASDAQ: EXAS) announced today that a United States patent was issued that covers the use of differentially methylated vimentin as a marker for the detection of colon cancer. The issued patent, expiring in 2024, “Methods and Compositions for Detecting Colon Cancers,” United States Patent No. 7,485,420, describes, in part, assays for the detection of methylation within a vimentin nucleotide sequence. Studies have demonstrated that methylation of vimentin DNA is associated with the presence of colorectal cancer. Through its license agreement with Case Western Reserve University, EXACT has exclusive worldwide rights to the vimentin gene technology for non-invasive stool-based detection of colorectal cancer and pre-malignant colorectal polyps.
