AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Rules-Based Medicine, Inc. (RBM) and Correlogic Systems, Inc. today announced the award of a National Cancer Institute (NCI) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract to RBM that will further research on ovarian cancer diagnostic tests. The contract was awarded through a peer-reviewed competitive process to develop biomarker panels for the early detection of cancer and includes a Phase I "Fast-Track" component and Phase II option, together totaling $1.15 million.
RBM, located in Austin, Texas, is the world's leading multiplexed biomarker testing laboratory delivering robust assay data with applications in drug safety and efficacy, disease diagnosis and disease modeling. Correlogic, based in Rockville, MD, has pioneered the use of pattern recognition technologies for the development of proteomic, metabolomic, and genomic-based clinical prognostic and clinical diagnostic tests. The companies have collaborated on production of Correlogic's first ovarian cancer diagnostic test, OvaCheck(R).
"An early diagnostic screen for ovarian cancer could greatly increase the chances of survival," said Craig Benson, RBM's chief executive officer. "Our research will integrate additional biomarkers associated with ovarian cancer into the existing Correlogic panel with the aim of achieving sensitivity and specificity levels that can open this test to a wider population of women."
"Our search for additional biomarkers -- and combinations of biomarkers -- for early disease detection is an ongoing effort," said Peter Levine, Correlogic's president and chief executive officer. "We are building on Correlogic's extensive research and validation using multiple markers for disease detection to take our test to the next level."
Under the two phases of this project, RBM will develop and test quantitative, multiplexed immunoassays incorporating 19 additional analytes the two companies have identified as promising targets potentially capable of enhancing accuracy of ovarian cancer detection. Correlogic will expand its existing analytic platform to determine the efficacy of incorporating these additional analytes into the existing assay. Upon completion RBM will add the 19 assays to its automated RBM Human Multi-Analyte Profile platform, HumanMAP(R).
The project is being funded in whole or in part with Federal funds from the NCI, the National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Health and Human Services under Contract No. HHSN261200800045C. RBM received two "fast-track" SBIR awards in 2007.
About Ovarian Cancer
The American Cancer Society estimates ovarian cancer will strike 21,650 women and take the lives of 15,520 women in 2008. It is the most deadly gynecologic cancer, accounting for more than 55 percent of all gynecologic cancer deaths. But ovarian cancer is also among the most treatable if it is caught early. When ovarian cancer is diagnosed early and appropriately treated, 5-year survival is 93 percent. However, less than 20 percent of all ovarian cancers are found in this early stage. Progress continues, with the development of new tests to aid in diagnosis of certain symptomatic women. With further enhanced sensitivity and specificity that additional research may provide, tests can be appropriate for a wider population of women.
About Rules-Based Medicine
Rules-Based Medicine (RBM) provides comprehensive protein biomarker products and services centered on its Multi-Analyte Profiling (MAP) technology. Its service platform (RodentMAP(R) and HumanMAP(R)) provides pre-clinical and clinical researchers with reproducible, quantitative, multiplexed immunoassay data for hundreds of proteins cost-effectively in multiple species, and from a small sample volume. The Company also offers innovative and proprietary ex vivo testing systems such as TruCulture(TM), the first fully-closed, reproducible whole blood culture system. RBM is actively developing multiplex diagnostic tests to detect the presence of complex diseases and conditions in areas of unmet medical need such as neuropsychiatry, nephrology, immunology and cardiology. More information about RBM is located at http://www.rbmmaps.com.
About Correlogic Systems
Correlogic Systems, Inc. has developed patented technology and processes with a wide variety of applications for biomarker discovery, disease detection, and new drug discovery. The technology's first application has been in the field of proteomics - the study of human proteins. OvaCheck(R), a blood test for detection of ovarian cancer, is Correlogic's first diagnostic test using its patented "Hidden Patterns" approach. Correlogic has entered into marketing agreements with Quest Diagnostics, Inc., and Laboratory Corporation of America for OvaCheck in North America. Correlogic's pipeline includes blood tests for colon, breast and prostate cancer. Quest Diagnostics, Mitsui & Co., Ltd., and Ahn-Gook Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. are equity investors in Correlogic. Visit Correlogic at http://www.correlogic.com.
Cautionary Statement: Certain statements contained in this release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Actual results could differ materially due to, among other things, operational and other difficulties associated with integrating acquired business, general business conditions, competition among managed care companies, rising health costs, trends in medical loss ratios, health care reform, delay in receipt of regulatory and other approvals for pending transactions and other regulatory issues.
RodentMAP(R) and HumanMAP(R) are registered trademarks of Rules-Based Medicine, Inc. OvaCheck(R) is a registered trademark of Correlogic Systems, Inc.
CONTACT: Sam LaBrie of Rules-Based Medicine, Inc., +1-512-835-8026, ext.
287, slabrie@rulesbasedmedicine.com; Annette Fribourg of Correlogic
Systems, Inc., +1-301-795-1707, afribourg@correlogic.com; or Media, Nadine
Padilla LLC for Rules-Based Medicine, +1-619-507-9306, nadine@npadilla.com
Web site: http://www.rbmmaps.com/
http://www.correlogic.com/
