SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Feb. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Monogram Biosciences, Inc. announced today that it has entered into a collaboration agreement with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to utilize Monogram’s eTag(TM) technology in preclinical and clinical oncology research studies. The purpose of these studies will be to identify and validate clinical biomarkers and predictive algorithms for disease prognosis and therapeutic response. Under the agreement, Monogram and Dana-Farber will jointly conduct experiments employing eTag assays to investigate the relationship between signaling pathway activation and clinical responsiveness to targeted drugs in a variety of important cancers. Monogram will have rights to diagnostic and predictive medicine applications of all resulting inventions.
“Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is on the leading edge of cancer research, and we are extremely pleased to be collaborating with its researchers and physicians under this broad agreement,” stated William Young, CEO of Monogram. “We believe that our eTag technology may open up a completely new approach to the management of serious diseases. The collaboration with the world class researchers at Dana-Farber will help us in our mission to match the right drug to the right patient at the right time.”
“There is a need for technologies that can better characterize complex networks of interacting proteins in cancer cells,” said Lee Nadler, MD, Virginia and D.K. Ludwig Professor for Cancer Research and head of the new Center for Clinical and Translational Research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. “The eTag technology may have applications in clinical medicine as well as discovery research and drug development. We think the technology is very promising, as a way to effectively match patients with the best treatment for their particular cancer, and as a research tool for understanding fundamental biology and developing novel therapeutics. Our investigators are eager to access this technology, and have many studies to which it can be applied.”
Monogram’s eTag assays enable the analysis of an individual tumor sample at the protein and signaling pathway level. By understanding which pathways are activated in any given tumor, the assay aims to identify those patients who are most likely to respond to a particular therapy, and ultimately to guide the application of combination therapy targeting multiple pathways concurrently.
“Monogram believes that collaborations such as this are vital to developing the kind of advanced diagnostics and novel therapeutics that will make personalized medicine for individual cancer patients a reality,” said Young.
About Monogram
Monogram is advancing individualized medicine by discovering, developing and marketing innovative products to guide and improve treatment of serious infectious diseases and cancer. The Company’s products are designed to help doctors optimize treatment regimens for their patients that lead to better outcomes and reduced costs. The Company’s technology is also being used by numerous biopharmaceutical companies to develop new and improved antiviral therapeutics and vaccines as well as targeted cancer therapeutics. More information about the Company and its technology can be found on its web site at http://www.monogrambio.com.
About Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a principal teaching affiliate of the Harvard Medical School and is among the leading cancer research and care centers in the United States. It is a founding member of the Dana- Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (DF/HCC), a designated comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute.
eTag is a trademark of Monogram Biosciences, Inc.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking. These forward-looking statements include references to our future development and commercialization plans for oncology tests based on our eTag technology, and our ability both independently and through collaborations, to identify biomarkers and predictive clinical algorithms using that technology. These forward looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties relating to the performance of our products; the growth in revenues; the ability of our eTag assays to predict response to particular therapeutic agents, our ability to successfully conduct clinical studies and the results obtained from those studies; whether larger confirmatory clinical studies will confirm the results of initial studies; our ability to establish reliable, high-volume operations at commercially reasonable costs; expected reliance on a few customers for the majority of our revenues; the annual renewal of certain customer agreements; actual market acceptance of our products and adoption of our technological approach and products by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies; our estimate of the size of our markets; our estimates of the levels of demand for our products; the impact of competition; the timing and ultimate size of pharmaceutical company clinical trials; whether payors will authorize reimbursement for our products and services; whether the FDA or any other agency will decide to further regulate our products or services; whether we will encounter problems or delays in automating our processes; the ultimate validity and enforceability of our patent applications and patents; the possible infringement of the intellectual property of others; whether licenses to third party technology will be available; whether we are able to build brand loyalty and expand revenues; the potential impact of cash and or stock payments by us on the Contingent Value Rights issued to shareholders of ACLARA; and whether we will be able to raise sufficient capital if required. For a discussion of other factors that may cause our actual events to differ from those projected, please refer to our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, as well as other subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We do not undertake, and specifically disclaim any obligation, to revise any forward-looking statements to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statements.
Contacts: Alfred G. Merriweather Jeremiah Hall Chief Financial Officer Feinstein Kean Healthcare Tel: 650 624 4576 Tel: 415 677 2700 amerriweather@monogrambio.comjeremiah.hall@fkhealth.com
Monogram Biosciences, Inc.
CONTACT: Alfred G. Merriweather, Chief Financial Officer of MonogramBiosciences, Inc., +1-650-624-4576, amerriweather@monogrambio.com; orJeremiah Hall of Feinstein Kean Healthcare, +1-415-677-2700,jeremiah.hall@fkhealth.com
Web site: http://www.monogrambio.com/
