Message #3 From:
NewsBot Date: July 26, 2005 11:00:00 PM
XNOM News Xenomics Granted European Patent for Breakthrough Tr-DNA Technology to Detect Fetal Genetic Abnormalities; New Patent Further Strengthens Xenomics' Strategy to Create and Distribute New Medical Diagnostic Products for International Market
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 27, 2005--Xenomics, Inc. (OTCBB:XNOM), a developer of next-generation medical DNA technologies, announced today it has been notified by the European Patent Office that the Company's initial European patent application for its breakthrough Transrenal-DNA (Tr-DNA) technology to detect fetal genetic abnormalities such as Down syndrome has been allowed. The patent will formally issue after the standard nine-month public comment period.
The new patent expands the Company's intellectual property assets in Europe and helps the Company in its overall efforts to establish marketing channels in the global multi-billion-dollar medical molecular diagnostics industry.
"The granting of the European patent is another strategic milestone for Xenomics that further validates our technology and our initiatives to create a new class of superior prenatal diagnostic tests," said Dr. Randy White, CEO of Xenomics. "This latest patent underscores and strengthens our primary mission to create and market a simple urine test that effectively, easily and safely screens for Down syndrome and other fetal genetic abnormalities, based on our Tr-DNA technology platform."
Xenomics believes its technology could revolutionize prenatal diagnostic testing, by providing an earlier and more accurate result than the currently available triple and quad screen tests and as a prescreen for amniocentesis may reduce the number of these potentially risky procedures performed, The Company is currently conducting human clinical trials of its proprietary Tr-DNA technology for prenatal Down syndrome in partnerships with the Eastern Virginia Medical School, a leading healthcare and educational institution, and with the North Shore-Long Island Jewish (LIJ) Health System, one of the nation's largest healthcare institutions.
Several of the key competitive advantages of Xenomics' Tr-DNA methodology include the technology's ability to be conducted on easily-obtained urine samples, the potential to deliver a result in the first trimester of pregnancy (6-7 weeks) as compared to the second trimester (16-18 weeks) for all existing tests, the potential to deliver a definitive yes/no result instead of the risk assessment obtained with the triple and quad screen tests and the future ability to deliver a suite of prenatal genetic tests from a single sample collection
Xenomics' technology involves the analysis of fragments of Tr-DNA, which have moved from the blood stream through the kidneys, where they accumulate in urine. Xenomics is using its Tr-DNA platform to develop a number of completely safe, non-invasive and powerful medical diagnostic tests to detect and monitor a wide range of diseases and conditions, from fetal genetic abnormalities to HIV to cancer to bioterrorism agents. Xenomics' scientists were also the first to discover the existence of Tr-DNA.
About Xenomics, Inc.
Xenomics is a molecular diagnostic 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, a newly allowed European patent for prenatal genetic testing and nine pending US and European patent applications. The Company has organized a joint venture to conduct research on infectious disease detection with the National Institute for Infectious Diseases (Instituto Nazionale per le Malattie Infettive "Lazarus Spallanzani") in Rome, in the form of a new R&D company called SpaXen Italia, S.R.L. For more information, please visit http://xenomics.com. For more investor-specific information, including daily and historical Company stock quote data and recent news releases, please visit http://www.trilogy-capital.com/tcp/xenomics. To read or download the Company's Investor Fact Sheet visit http://www.trilogy-capital.com/tcp/xenomics/factsheet.html. To view an online video about Xenomics technology and products, visit http://www.trilogy-capital.com/tcp/xenomics/video.html. A TV news report about the Company's next-generation prenatal tests can be viewed at http://www.trilogy-capital.com/tcp/xenomics/ny1_video.html.
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 the periodic reports of Xenomics, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, 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.
