LOS ANGELES, July 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Response Genetics, Inc. today announced the opening of an additional laboratory in Edinburgh, Scotland. This is the first in a series of strategically placed global laboratories that the Company plans to open to support the pharmaceutical industry’s need for genetic analysis of their global clinical trial specimens.
The Edinburgh laboratory is now open, fully equipped and able to analyze clinical trial specimens for the development of diagnostics and clinical trial sample analysis and conforms to current quality assurance guidelines. With this laboratory and our existing U.S. facility in Los Angeles, CA, the capacity within the Company for this analysis has now doubled.
“We are excited to expand our laboratory presence into Europe with the opening of our Edinburgh facility,” said Kathleen Danenberg, President and CEO of Response Genetics. “The opening of this new facility is the first step towards implementing the corporate strategy to standardize genetic testing globally. We expect to continue this expansion with the opening of new laboratories in Asia.”
Pharmaceutical companies are beginning to develop drugs that will be prescribed to patients whose tumors express specific genetic markers for some specified outcome such as response. The rationale for a movement towards “personalized medicine” is that the drugs will be more effective in populations of patients whose tumors are genetically susceptible to the particular agent and that the approval process for these drugs will be faster. Enrollment of patients in a “biomarker” driven clinical trial sometimes depends on analyzing the tumor specimen s for the presence of a particular genetic marker within a few days, which does not provide sufficient time for shipping specimens to the United States. Also, some countries, such as China, have severe limitations on exportation of human specimens. Therefore, it is necessary to have “on site” rapid analysis of clinical trial specimens locally, to effectively compete for patients to complete clinical trials globally.
The goal of global clinical trials is to generate simultaneous approval of drugs around the world; therefore, it is important that the analysis of clinical trial specimens be comparable between these geographically separated sites. The Company provides an added value to the pharmaceutical industry by offering genetic analysis of clinical trial specimens using the same platform and quality assurance. The Company’s use of global laboratories seeks to ensure that the test performs identically around the world and conforms to regulatory agency standards at each site. Therefore, data from various sites can be easily compared internally at the pharmaceutical company and more efficiently submitted to the regulatory agencies.
The Company has taken the first step towards fulfilling this need and intends to open other strategically placed laboratories throughout Asia.
About Response Genetics, Inc.
Response Genetics, Inc. (“RGI”) is engaged in the research and development of pharmacogenomic cancer diagnostic tests based on its proprietary technologies. RGI’s technologies enable extraction and analysis of genetic information from genes derived from tumor specimens stored as formalin-fixed and paraffin embedded specimens. RGI currently generates revenue primarily from the sales of its proprietary analytical pharmacogenomic testing services of clinical trial specimens to the pharmaceutical industry. The company was founded in 1999 and its principal headquarters are located in Los Angeles, California. For more information, please visit www.responsegenetics.com.
Forward Looking Statement Notice
Except for the historical information contained herein, this press release and the statements of representatives of Response Genetics, Inc. (the “Company”) related thereto contain or may contain, among other things, certain forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties. Such statements may include, without limitation, statements with respect to the Company’s plans, objectives, projections, expectations and intentions, such as its increased ability to analyze specimens and the expansion of its business in Asia, and other statements identified by words such as “projects”, “may”, “could”, “would”, “should”, “believes”, “expects”, “anticipates”, “estimates”, “intends”, “plans” or similar expressions. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the Company’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, including those detailed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results, including, without limitation, actual sales results, if any, or the application of funds, may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that are subject to change based on various factors (many of which are beyond the Company’s control). The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Response Genetics, Inc.
CONTACT: Investor Relations, Christine Yang, Trout Group, +1-646-378-2929;or Media Relations, Dan Budwick of BMC Communications, +1-212-477-9007,ext. 14, both for Response Genetics, Inc.
Web site: http://www.responsegenetics.com/
