Orlando, Florida – March 31, 2011 – LIFE Biosystems announced today that is has been chosen to present its breakthrough findings related to erythropoiesis- stimulating agent (ESA) treatment at this year’s annual meeting for the American Association for Cancer Research. For years, ESAs were considered safe and effective in treating patients with chemotherapy-induced anemia. While shown to reduce transfusion requirements and improve quality of life for patients, ESAs have since been linked to tumor growth and shortened life spans for those undergoing treatment.
While regulatory actions have recently led to “black box” labeling for ESAs, LIFE employed its in silico biomarker discovery technology to hypothesize that the tumor growth and accelerated death rates were not linked to the Epo receptor (EpoR), but instead to EphB4, a novel Epo receptor (NEPOR) for Epo. To validate this important discovery, LIFE partnered with Dr. Anil K. Sood and colleagues at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center to conduct rigorous biochemical, functional and clinical studies. The results demonstrated the direct coupling of NEPOR to Epo biology. More importantly, they conducted a retrospective clinical study in ovarian cancer patients and found striking effects of NEPOR expression on patient survival – an effect that is dependent on EPO treatment.
“This breakthrough discovery changes how we look at ESAs,” said David Jackson, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, LIFE Biosystems. “We are opening the door to exciting theranostic avenues for better management of patients with chemotherapy-induced anemia. Beyond this, we believe the study holds significant implications for our understanding of Epo biology as a whole.”
“These findings are significant,” said Anil Sood, M.D., Professor and Vice Chair for Translational Research in the Department of Gynecologic Oncology, M.D. Cancer Center. “Understanding NEPOR as a novel diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target will help us reduce the risk of adverse events in anemic cancer patients and improve their overall treatment. Furthermore, I believe this personalized medicine example will lead the way to individualized discovery and analysis and personalized treatment of ESA-treated patients. ”
LIFE Biosciences will present “Erythropoietin meets a new receptor” at the AACR annual meeting on Monday, April 4, 2011 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The poster session will be PO.ET02.01, Identification of Molecular Targets (Abstract number 1618/poster board 7).
On Tuesday, April 5, 2011, LIFE will also present “In Search of a novel EPO
receptor: The clinical significance of the Eph connection” from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The poster session will be PO.ET03.02, Novel Targets for New and Established Drugs. (Abstract number 4457/poster board 1).
About LIFE Biosystems
LIFE Biosystems is a disease management company working at the forefront of innovation in biomedical informatics and personalized cancer medicine.
Empowering physicians with the knowledge they require to confidently select the most appropriate therapies and diagnostic tests, LIFE‘s mission is to revolutionize the cost-effectiveness and clinical success of cancer patient care. Working together with key stakeholders in the healthcare system, LIFE is striving to bring the promise of personalized medicine to widespread clinical reality and success. LIFE is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland and has affiliations in Houston, Texas and Heidelberg, Germany. For additional information about the company, please visit: www.lifebiosystems.com
For further information please contact:
Media contact:
Tracy C. Donahue
LIFE Biosystems
Tel: +1 (857) 919-9975
tracy.donahue@lifebiosystems.com
