NuroPro(R), The First Blood Serum Diagnostic Test To Be Available For Alzheimer's Disease, Demonstrates High Sensitivity And Specificity

Main Category: Alzheimer's / Dementia
Article Date: 18 Aug 2008 - 2:00 PDT

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Power3 Medical Products, Inc. (OTCBB:PWRM), a leading proteomics company specializing in the development and commercialization of diagnostic tests for early detection of breast cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, is providing an interim status report of its international validation study of the company's NuroPro® blood serum biomarker test for Alzheimer's disease.

Power3 is currently conducting a 300-patient clinical validation study of its NuroPro® blood serum test for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease in collaboration with Dr. Marwan Sabbagh, the Director of Clinical Research at the Cleo Roberts Center of Clinical Research at the Sun Health Research Institute in Sun City, Arizona. "The preliminary results of the Power3's study look very promising. Clinicians around the world look forward to adding a tool to diagnose and treat Alzheimer's earlier and therefore give the best care to their patients," says Dr. Sabbagh. To date, 92 Alzheimer and Control patient samples have been analyzed in Power3's CLIA certified laboratory and have demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

"This study confirms Power3's panel of Neurodegenerative biomarkers' ability to diagnose Alzheimer's disease with superior sensitivity and specificity with results in the 95% range. Additionally, the current study validates Power3's collection, storage, shipping, processing, and biostatistical analysis methods," says Dr. Essam Sheta, the Director of Power3's CLIA laboratory. Power3 expects to conclude the initial Alzheimer's validation study in September 2008 and publish the validation study results soon after.

"Power3 is planning to expand its validation study for NuroPro® to include two additional clinical sites within the U.S. Larger patient cohorts of different ethnic and environmental backgrounds will strengthen the validity of NuroPro's® applicability in the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases," Steven B. Rash, Chief Executive Officer, commented. Mr. Rash added "This study confirms that Power3 is rapidly approaching the stage to commercializing the first ever blood serum proteomic tests for the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases. These encouraging Alzheimer's test results, and the numerous validation studies that are currently underway for Parkinson's disease, ALS, and similar neurological disorders, demonstrates our commitment to bringing these tests to market in late 2008 or early 2009. We believe this test will be a major breakthrough for patients and physicians, as it will offer a means to detect neurodegenerative diseases at their earliest stages, allowing physicians to begin treatment at stages which will produce more positive outcomes."

In addition to the Alzheimer's clinical validation study being conducted in collaboration with Dr. Sabbagh, the Company continues its ongoing Parkinson's validation study under the direction of the principal investigator, Dr. Katerina Markopoulou at the Research Institute at the University of Thessaly, Greece. Power3 expects to conclude this Parkinson's validation study in September and will publish the results soon after.

About Power3 Medical Products

Power3 Medical Products, Inc. (OTCBB: PWRM), is a leading proteomics company engaged in the commercialization of protein biomarkers, pathways, and mechanisms of diseases through the development of diagnostic tests and drug targets for cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Power3's patent-pending technologies are being used to develop screening and diagnostic tests for the early detection and prognosis of disease, identify protein biomarkers, and drug targets. Diagnostic tests are targeted toward markets with critical unmet needs in areas such as breast cancer and neurodegenerative disease. Power3 has signed its first distribution agreement to provide its blood serum diagnostic for breast cancer, BC-SeraPro™ in twelve Middle Eastern countries before the end of 2008. Power3 operates a state-of-the-art CLIA certified proteomics laboratory in The Woodlands (Houston), Texas. The Company is preparing to commercialize its IP portfolio, centering on the 543 biomarkers the Company has discovered from a broad range of diseases as the basis of blood-based tests for breast cancer, ALS, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's Diseases.

Power3 Medical Products

About Sun Health Research Institute

For 21 years, Sun Health Research Institute has been a leader nationally and internationally in the effort to find answers to disorders of aging including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, arthritis and prostate cancer. The institute, together with its Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium partners, has been designated by the National Institutes of Health as one of just 31 Alzheimer's Disease Centers in the nation. The institute's Cleo Roberts Center for Clinical Research takes laboratory discoveries to clinical trials that foster hope for new treatments. Sun Health Research Institute is affiliated with the Sun Health non-profit community healthcare network.

Sun Health Research Institute