DiagnoCure's GCC Marker For The Staging Of Colorectal Cancer Discussed At Two Scientific Meetings

Main Category: Colorectal Cancer
Also Included In: Conferences
Article Date: 26 Sep 2008 - 0:00 PDT

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DiagnoCure Inc. (TSX: CUR), a life sciences company commercializing high-value cancer diagnostic tests and delivering laboratory services, announced that its Guanylyl Cyclase C (GCC) marker for identifying colorectal cancer cells is being featured at two scientific meetings this month. The Company also announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, DiagnoCure Oncology Laboratories, had received its first orders of its new Previstage(TM) GCC Colorectal Cancer Staging Test and is now delivering test results to physicians.

GCC marker presented at major conferences

The GCC marker, for which DiagnoCure owns exclusive worldwide diagnostic rights, is being featured in two scientific meetings this month. Dr. Scott Waldman, from Thomas Jefferson University, who first identified the relation of the GCC gene to colorectal cells, is presenting his research work and discussing the applications of molecular diagnostics to cancer management.

Dr. Waldman's work was recognized at this year's Molecular Diagnostics in Cancer Therapeutics Conference. This important conference is devoted to the latest developments in the integration of molecular diagnostics with cancer drug development and patient treatment. Aspects of GCC lymph node testing were presented to the attendees coming from the industry, academic institutions and the government, as well as patient-advocacy groups and regulatory agencies. Also, on September 24, as part of the same meeting, Dr. Waldman participated in a local media roundtable entitled Molecular Diagnostics: Leading the World from Philadelphia.

In addition, on September 29, at the Biomarker Discovery Summit, Dr. Waldman will be chairing and presenting selected GCC lymph node testing research data in a pre-conference workshop entitled: Novel Approaches to Cancer Biomarkers.

First orders of Previstage(TM) GCC received

Following on the research work of Dr. Waldman, DiagnoCure developed the Previstage(TM) GCC Colorectal Cancer Staging Test, and launched the test at the end of August 2008. The Company reports that physicians have started to order the test and are now sending lymph nodes removed during colorectal surgery to be tested with Previstage(TM) GCC for the presence of GCC. "This is a very positive first response to the launch of our test. For the moment, we have a small sales team focusing on educating the market and getting our first sales. We will continue to introduce Previstage(TM) GCC at meetings, present new data and expand the team as required. We are confident that our disciplined launch and management will help us achieve commercial success," stated John Schafer, President and CEO of DiagnoCure.

About Previstage(TM) GCC

Every year in North America, 174,000 people are diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and 142,000 colorectal cancer surgeries are performed. Staging a patient with colorectal cancer is crucial because it determines the patient's course of treatment after the surgery. Current standard of care requires that pathologists microscopically examine a thin slice of tissue from each of the lymph nodes harvested during the patient's surgery to see if cancer has spread. Currently, up to 25 - 30 percent of patients with no pathologically-positive lymph nodes (stage I and II cancers) later develop recurrent disease, presumably through occult metastases that have escaped detection. Most of these patients do not receive additional therapies such as chemotherapy. With a detection capacity that is close to 100,000 more sensitive than microscopic methods, Previstage(TM) GCC provides clinicians with significantly more accurate information for staging a patient with colorectal cancer that will increase their confidence in making critical treatment decisions.

Clinical study data supports the potential for the GCC test to improve the current staging of colorectal patients. The National Cancer Institute sponsored a five-year prospective clinical trial of GCC testing in colorectal cancer patients. This study has been recently completed and the Company's collaborators at Thomas Jefferson University are presenting the results at major medical conferences throughout the year.

The Previstage(TM) GCC Colorectal Cancer Staging Test is a laboratory-developed test and its performance characteristics have been determined by DiagnoCure Oncology Laboratories.

About DiagnoCure

DiagnoCure (TSX: CUR) is a life sciences company commercializing high-value cancer diagnostic tests and delivering laboratory services that increase clinician and patient confidence in making critical treatment decisions. DiagnoCure Oncology Laboratories, a subsidiary of DiagnoCure Inc., recently launched the Previstage(TM) GCC Colorectal Cancer Staging Test, the first GCC-based molecular test for the management of colorectal cancer. The Company also has a strategic alliance with Gen-Probe (NASDAQ: GPRO) for the development and commercialization of a second-generation prostate cancer test using PCA3, DiagnoCure's proprietary molecular marker. This test is also available through laboratories in the U.S. using PCA3 analyte specific reagents (ASR) from Gen-Probe, in Europe as the CE-marked PROGENSA(TM) PCA3 in vitro assay, and in Canada. In addition to its own research, the Company intends to acquire or in-license additional promising cancer biomarkers from both academic and commercial institutions. For more information, visit http://www.diagnocure.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements that involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expected. By their very nature, forward-looking statements are based on expectations and hypotheses and also involve risks and uncertainties, known and unknown, many of which are beyond DiagnoCure's control. As a result, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements regarding the outcome of research and development projects, clinical studies and future revenues are based on management expectations. In addition, the reader is referred to the applicable general risks and uncertainties described in DiagnoCure's most recent Annual Information Form under the heading "Risk Factors". DiagnoCure undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements contained herein.

DIAGNOCURE INC.
http://www.diagnocure.com