NEW YORK, Aug. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Xenomics, Inc. (the “Company”) a developer of next-generation medical DNA diagnostic technologies, announced today that its first diagnostic test developed for stratification of patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) has been implemented at CLIA approved BRT Laboratories Inc. in Baltimore, Maryland, and is available for clinicians.
AML is the most common form of acute leukemia with about 13,400 new cases expected in 2007 in the USA and a similar number in Europe. Early detection of AML subtypes is important for development of a treatment strategy. The new test is based on a recent discovery of Drs. Falini and Mecucci at the Institute of Hematology at the University of Perugia in Italy that mutations in a nucleophosmin (NPM1) gene are characteristic of 30-40% of the cases of AML. NPM1 is a protein involved in regulation of ribosome biogenesis, cell division, cell death, and other important processes. Xenomics has obtained an exclusive license for the invention and developed a test that detects all 45 known mutations of NPM1 in a single reaction. The results will help physicians with prognosis, therapy, and monitoring of the disease. Stratification of AML patients is also necessary for anti-AML drug clinical trials.
“We are glad to work with Xenomics on AML diagnostics and to add this test to our repertoire of genetic tests” commented Antonette Allen, Clinical Service Manager of BRT Laboratories. “We believe that the NPM1 diagnostic test will not only help hematologists in the treatment of the disease but also in developing a test for monitoring the disease and patient response to anti-tumor therapy”.
About Xenomics, Inc.
Xenomics is a molecular diagnostics company that focuses on the development of DNA-based tests using Transrenal DNA (Tr-DNA). Xenomics’ patented technology uses safe and simple urine collection and can be applied to a broad range of applications, including prenatal testing, tumor detection and monitoring, tissue transplantation, infectious disease detection, genetic testing for forensic identity determination, drug development, and research to counter bioterrorism. Scientists from Xenomics were the first to report that fragments of DNA from normal cell death cross the kidney barrier and can be detected in urine. The Company believes that its technology will open significant new markets in the molecular diagnostics field. Xenomics has three issued U.S. patents covering different applications of the technology for molecular diagnostics and genetic testing and a European patent for the Company’s prenatal testing applications, and numerous pending patent applications. For more investor-specific information, including daily and historical Company stock quote data, recent news releases and an Investor Fact Sheet, please visit http://www.xenomics.com. Xenomics is also listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol XE7.
About BRT Laboratories
BRT Laboratories, Inc., a Baltimore-based biotechnology company, is a multi-faceted laboratory offering a full range of genetic services that includes relationship analysis, identity testing, and clinical assay development. BRT also offers services for the development and validation of diagnostic and monitoring assays for the research community and performs diagnostic and patient monitoring testing for physicians, hospitals, and clinical trial applications.
BRT offers a full range of services that support commercial, government and academic collaborations. BRT has been serving the community for over 60 years in the areas of paternity, immigration, forensics and clinical diagnostics. For more information, please visit BRT’s website at www.brtlabs.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements made in this press release are forward looking. Such statements are indicated by words such as “expect,” “might,” “should,” “anticipate” and similar words indicating uncertainty in facts and figures. Although Xenomics believes that the expectations reflected in such forward- looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. As discussed in Xenomics’ Form 10-KSB as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 16, 2006 and its other periodic reports, actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of the following factors, among others: uncertainties associated with product development, the risk that Xenomics will not obtain approval to market its products, the risk that Xenomics’ technology will not gain market acceptance, the risks associated with dependence upon key personnel, and the need for additional financing.
Contact: Samuil Umansky +1-732-438-8290
Xenomics, Inc.
CONTACT: Samuil Umansky of Xenomics, Inc., +1-732-438-8290
