NEW YORK, July 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Xenomics, Inc. (the “Company”) a developer of next-generation medical DNA diagnostic technologies, announced today issuance of its first European patent “Methods for detection of nucleic acid sequences in urine”, EP 1634966 A2 that covers use of its proprietary transrenal nucleic acid technology in the area of prenatal diagnostics and genetic testing.
Transrenal nucleic acids are fragments of DNA and RNA from cells dying throughout the body that cross the kidney barrier from blood to urine and can be used for genetic analysis. Early gender detection will be the first application of transrenal DNA (Tr-DNA) technology for prenatal diagnostics. Using a new proprietary method for isolation of Tr-DNA, Xenomics’ scientists successfully detected sequences of a single copy Y chromosome-specific SRY gene in urine of women pregnant with male fetuses from the 6th week of pregnancy. The test is developed for pregnancies with a risk of gender-linked diseases such as hemophilia, Fragile X syndrome and others. At the same time the gender detection test can have much broader applications. Successful early detection of a single copy gene that originates from the fetus in the urine of pregnant women indicates that other prenatal tests, e.g. detection of Rh incompatibility, which can cause severe anemia in a newborn baby, and many others can be developed using the same approach.
“We are glad that issuance of our first European patent in addition to our strong US patent portfolio coincides with significant progress in the development of our technology,” commented Samuil Umansky CSO of Xenomics. “Since use of Tr-DNA for molecular diagnostics is a platform technology, success in one area based on significant improvements of Tr-DNA isolation and detection methodologies will accelerate test development in other fields including oncology, infectious diseases, and transplantation.”
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.
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
Web site: http://www.xenomics.com/
