GenoMed Initiates Colon Cancer Gene Discovery Effort
ST. LOUIS, Oct. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- GenoMed, Inc. (OTC Pink Sheets: GMED) ("the Company" or "GenoMed"), a St. Louis, Missouri-based medical genomics biotechnology company, announced today that it is going after colon cancer.
GenoMed will begin work immediately to identify genes associated with colon cancer using its patent-pending process of disease gene discovery. Based on the Company's existing SNP research coupled with its knowledge of disease pathways, the Company hopes to identify at least one gene associated with colon cancer within the first four months of the project.
The Company was contacted in May, 2002 by a 46 year-old white man in previously excellent health who had just been diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer the month before. His doctor gave him 3 months to live. The patient had learned of GenoMed's research and was eager to try anything that might extend his life. Based only on statistical data linking the angiotensin I-converting enzyme ("ACE") gene to colon cancer, which was published last week,* Dr. Moskowitz worked with the patient's physician to determine an appropriate treatment regimen. Since that time, the patient has gained 40 pounds and has increased his exercise program from a 2-mile daily walk to an 8-mile jog. The patient's weight and stamina increased while he was receiving chemotherapy treatments, which is unusual.
Dr. David W. Moskowitz, GenoMed's Chairman and Chief Medical Officer, commented, "We have identified a statistical link between colon cancer and the ACE gene. So far, this patient's response has been encouraging, but it's still way too early to know how much our ACE inhibitor treatment has helped. The clinical success we've had so far in treating a growing number of serious diseases strongly suggests to me that we are on the right track. It looks like activation of ACE may be an early event in a large number of serious diseases. We are racking up much better clinical outcomes against largely unstoppable diseases, such as diabetic kidney disease, peripheral vascular disease, psoriasis, and emphysema. I sincerely hope colon cancer will be the next disease to fall, for this patient's sake."
Dr. Moskowitz continued, "Today we began construction of our Disease GeneNet(TM), concentrating on candidate genes for colon cancer. We expect to have a completed version of the Disease GeneNet(TM), useful for all human diseases, within the next 12 to 18 months. We expect to start netting genes associated with colon cancer within the next 4 months, using our first version of the Disease GeneNet(TM). As we enlarge the Disease GeneNet(TM) for colon cancer with additional candidate SNPs, we expect to identify and file patents for additional colon cancer genes."
Dr. Moskowitz concluded, "I know, as a physician who watched my own two parents die of colon cancer, exactly how unrealistic it is to expect to beat colon cancer. But my experience so far with medical genomics gives me faith that it has extraordinary power. There is simply nothing better than knowing what causes the disease in the first place. Even without any new drugs, finding colon cancer genes will give us an early warning system for identifying future colon cancer patients. Ideally, we'll know exactly who needs early colonoscopy so that their tumors can be removed at an early stage, unlike the patient whom I'm currently trying to help in an admittedly last- ditch effort."
*Moskowitz, DW. Is Angiotensin I-Converting Enzyme a 'Master' Disease Gene? Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics 2002; vol. 4, number 5, pp. 683-711.
About GenoMed
GenoMed, Inc. is a medical genomics company whose mission is to improve patient outcomes by identifying the genes that cause disease. A recent St. Louis Business Journal article (http://www.stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2002/05/13/story8.html ) reported that the company has applied for patents based on its finding that the ACE gene is associated with a large number of common, age-related diseases, including colon cancer. The patient discussed above is using the Company's patent-pending treatment for colon cancer on an experimental basis. It is too early to tell if he has received any definitive medical benefit from it, although he is evidently tolerating the treatment well.
For questions, please contact Krissy Fischer, tel. 1-877-GENOMED (1-877-436-6633), FAX 314-977-0042, email: kfischer@genomedics.com, or visit GenoMed at genomedics.com .
SOURCE GenoMed, Inc.
CONTACT: Krissy Fischer of GenoMed, Inc., +1-877-436-6633, or fax,
+1-314-977-0042, or kfischer@genomedics.com
Web site: genomedics.com
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