SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Nov. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Monogram Biosciences, Inc. announced today the presentation of five studies showcasing the capabilities of its proprietary eTag(TM) technology in oncology. The poster presentations will be delivered at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics being held November 14-18, 2005 in Philadelphia.
“The data that will be presented at AACR-NCI-EORTC demonstrate the potential of the eTag assay to predict responses to targeted cancer treatments in individual patients,” said Michael P. Bates, M.D., Vice President of Clinical Research at Monogram. “The eTag technology is capable of making functional assessments of signaling pathway activation in FFPE specimens and as such, represents a powerful methodology for use in the pre-clinical and clinical development of drugs that specifically target protein components of activated signaling pathways.”
The following posters will be presented at the meeting: Correlation of ErbB/HER receptor expression and dimerization patterns as measured by a proximity-based assay using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens with clinical response in a cohort of non-small-cell lung cancer patients treated with gefitinib. Presentation Time: Tuesday, November 15, 12:30 - 2:30 PM and 5:30 - 7:30 PM Presentation Number: A1243 Effect of ERBITUX(TM), Erlotinib, Gefitinib and Rapamycin on the Inhibition of EGFR Dimer Formation and Downstream Signaling Pathways in different Cancer Cell Lines. Presentation Time: Tuesday, November 15, 12:30 - 2:30 PM and 5:30 - 7:30 PM Presentation Number: A127 Effect of Gefitinib on EGFR Activation in Lung Cancer Cell Lines. Presentation Time: Tuesday, November 15, 12:30 - 2:30 PM and 5:30 - 7:30 PM Presentation Number: A124 ErbB/HER Pathway Profiling in Formalin-Fixed Paraffin Embedded Preclinical Xenograft Models Using Multiplexed Proximity Based Assays. Presentation Time: Tuesday, November 15, 12:30 - 2:30 PM and 5:30 - 7:30 PM Presentation Number: A121 Multiplex Detection of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor 2 (VEGFR2) Homodimers and Phosphorylation in Xenografts, Human Tumor Tissues and Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) Samples from Cell Lines Using the eTag(TM) Assay System Presentation Time: Wednesday, November 16, 12:30 - 2:30 PM and 5:30 - 7:30 PM Presentation Number: B17 About the eTag System
Monogram’s eTag assays enable detailed analysis of protein drug targets and signaling pathways in cancer cells, using tissue lysates or FFPE specimens, which is the standard format in most pathology labs. The assays can provide information on a drug’s mechanism of action, selectivity and potency in a biological setting in pre-clinical research, and enable selection of clinical trial populations later in a drug’s development. In addition, Monogram believes these assays may ultimately be used to help physicians better determine whether certain therapies are more appropriate for individual cancer patients, and whether to combine therapies with different mechanisms or properties. The first commercially available activated receptor test panel based on eTag technology, focused on the EGFR/HER receptor family, is planned to be introduced in 2006.
About Monogram Biosciences, Inc.
Monogram, formerly ViroLogic, Inc., 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 www.monogrambio.com.
NOTE: eTag(TM) is a registered trademark of Monogram Biosciences, Inc. Erbitux(TM) is a trademark of ImClone Systems, Incorporated of New York.
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking, including statements regarding the ability of assays based on the eTag technology to predict individual patient response to targeted cancer therapies and our ability to commercialize products based on the eTag 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; 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; whether clinical data derived from these studies will be adequate to support the commercial introduction of a test for patient responsiveness to targeted cancer therapies; 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 timing and ultimate size of pharmaceutical company clinical trials; whether payors will authorize reimbursement for its products; whether the FDA or any other agency will decide to regulate Monogram’s products or services; whether the Company will encounter problems or delays in automating its processes; whether licenses to third party technology will be available; whether Monogram is able to build brand loyalty and expand revenues; and whether Monogram will be able to raise sufficient capital when required. For a discussion of other factors that may cause Monogram’s actual events to differ from those projected, please refer to the Company’s 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.
Monogram Biosciences, Inc.
CONTACT: Alfred G. Merriweather, Chief Financial Officer of MonogramBiosciences, Inc., +1-650-624-4576, or amerriweather@monogrambio.com; orJeremiah Hall of Feinstein Kean Healthcare, +1-415-677-2700, orjeremiah.hall@fkhealth.com, for Monogram Biosciences, Inc.
Web site: http://www.monogrambio.com/
