PARIS, April 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ExonHit Therapeutics, a drug and diagnostic discovery company, communicated yesterday on novel results obtained within the framework of its collaborative program in breast cancer detection partnered with bioMerieux and in association with several hospitals.
The scientific results which are presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting, in Los Angeles (USA), confirm, within the scope of an extended patient population as compared to the one previously studied, that a panel of gene expression biomarkers can effectively identify breast cancer patients at an early stage (I/II). An 85% sensitivity and 87% specificity has been obtained from a group of 188 women including 99 breast cancer patients at an early I/II stage and 89 control women. This panel of markers provided similar results when applied to an independent cohort of 60 women. A multicentric prospective clinical study that will include 1,875 individuals is ongoing since September 2006 in order to confirm the sensitivity and specificity of this test. This study will also suggest the first usage of this test, either in complement or independent of current imaging technologies.
"These latest results confirm the relevance of our discovery engine for cancer detection blood-based biomarkers. We are very much looking forward to the completion of the multicentric clinical study performed by bioMerieux. Detecting breast cancer in its early stages is a critical public health issue and could improve the prognostic and the success rates in curing the disease. In addition to this collaboration, ExonHit is considering the possibility of investing with its own resources into a pharmacogenomics/personalized medicine program, in order to provide the pharmaceutical industry with this powerful investigation tool that could be geared towards the identification of the efficacy of anticancer treatments markers." stated Bruno Tocque, ExonHit's CEO.
Breast cancer diagnostics
To date, mammographic screening is the most reliable method to detect breast cancer in asymptomatic patients, but often fails to detect tumours that are less than 5 mm in size. In addition, mammograms of women with dense breast tissue are difficult to interpret. Finally, when an abnormality has been detected, further tests involving invasive steps are needed to confirm the presence of a cancer. Consequently, there is clearly a medical need for a less invasive diagnostic test for breast cancer.
Today, the WHO recommends that women over 50 undergo a screening test once every two years. This recommendation is implemented in many countries, such as France. In the United States, the National Cancer Institute recommends annual screening for women aged between 40 and 74 years. However, in reality, it is estimated that only a third of the targeted population attends the screenings.
ExonHit and bioMerieux collaboration
The ExonHit and bioMerieux collaboration in breast cancer diagnostics was initiated in 2003 to develop new diagnostic tests for breast cancer. This collaboration was extended in 2005, for six additional years, and expanded to cover a minimum of five diagnostic projects. In this context, programs in colorectal cancers and prostate cancers diagnostic have been launched. In return for its research efforts under this collaboration, ExonHit receives R&D payments from bioMerieux as well as development milestone payments for each diagnostic project. ExonHit will also receive royalties on the sales of marketed products.
About ExonHit Therapeutics
ExonHit Therapeutics is the world's leader in the analysis of alternative RNA splicing, a process which, when deregulated, plays a key role in the onset of various diseases. This expertise, associated to a strong intellectual property enables the company to precisely and comprehensively study gene expression, particularly applied to the human genome.
ExonHit has a multi-component commercial strategy to capture the maximum value from its leadership in alternative splicing. The company is already generating revenues from a new generation of microarrays, SpliceArray(TM) family of products, which enable life science researchers to detect crucial disease-associated information. These products are marketed worldwide in conjunction with Agilent and Affymetrix.
In the field of diagnostics, ExonHit has a major collaboration with bioMerieux to develop completely novel predictive blood-based cancer diagnostics, which could play a key role in improving the treatment of breast cancer and other major cancers. ExonHit is also developing its own internal diagnostic projects for the detection of other chronic diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and atherosclerosis.
In parallel, ExonHit is building its own therapeutic pipeline in the fields of neurodegenerative disease and cancer. The Company has advanced drug candidates into clinical trials and is evaluating several promising pre-clinical compounds. ExonHit also has a strategic partnership with Allergan, to discover and develop new therapeutics in the areas of pain, neurological diseases and ophthalmology. This collaboration provides on-going research funding to ExonHit.
Founded in 1997, ExonHit is headquartered in Paris, France and has a U.S. facility in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The Company has been listed on Alternext of Euronext Paris since November 17, 2005.
Contacts ExonHit Therapeutics Bruno Tocque, Chairman of the Management Board Philippe Rousseau, Chief Financial Officer philippe.rousseau@exonhit.com Tel: +33-1-58-05-47-00
This press release includes only summary information and does not purport to be comprehensive. The projections, forecast and estimates of ExonHit Therapeutics which may be contained herein are for illustrative purposes only and are based on management's current views and assumptions. Such projections, forecast and estimates involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, as described at Section 4.2 "Facteurs de risque" (Risk Factors) of the Document de Base available on ExonHit Therapeutics' website (www.exonhit.com), that may cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those anticipated in the summary information.
In addition, ExonHit Therapeutics, its shareholders, and its affiliates, directors, officers, advisors and employees have not verified the accuracy of, and make no representations or warranties in relation to, statistical data or predictions contained in this press release that were taken or derived from third party sources or industry publications, and such statistical data and predictions are used in this press release for information purposes only.
Finally, this press release may be drafted in the French and English languages. In an event of differences between the texts, the French language version shall prevail.
ExonHit Therapeutics SACONTACT: Contacts, ExonHit Therapeutics, Bruno Tocque, Chairman of theManagement Board, Philippe Rousseau, Chief Financial Officer,philippe.rousseau@exonhit.com, Tel: +33-1-58-05-47-00
