Ciphergen Announces Issuance of Patent for Protein Pattern Recognition Combined with Mass Spectrometry
Wednesday January 7, 4:15 pm ET
FREMONT, Calif., Jan. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ciphergen Biosystems, Inc. (Nasdaq: CIPH - News) announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued Ciphergen U.S. Patent 6,675,104, directed to finding protein patterns in mass spectrometry data. The patent covers software and methods that use a pattern recognition algorithm, called "classification and regression tree analysis," or CART, to identify diagnostic patterns of proteins derived from mass spectrometry data. This method is used in Ciphergen's Biomarker Patterns(TM) Software and SELDI ProteinChip® Biomarker System for biomarker discovery, validation and assay development.
"We believe this classification approach will enable development of a new generation of more predictive, higher value, clinical diagnostic and prognostic tests," said William E. Rich, President and CEO of Ciphergen. "Together with SELDI-MS, this method forms a powerful 'diagnostic pattern discovery technology' which enables rapid discovery of patterns of discreet, identifiable protein biomarkers in human fluids and tissues that distinguish disease states from healthy ones. These protein patterns can then be used to rapidly develop multi-marker, diagnostic assays. Ciphergen has long believed that protein multi-marker tests are the future of clinical diagnostics and will also enable pharmacoproteomics, which includes protein-based predictive toxicology and clinical trial patient stratification in pharmaceutical drug development leading to new companion diagnostics."
About Ciphergen
Ciphergen develops, manufactures and markets a family of ProteinChip® Systems and services for clinical, research and process proteomics applications, as well as a broad range of bioseparations media for protein purification through its BioSepra process chromatography division. ProteinChip Systems and Biomarker Discovery Center® collaborative services enable protein discovery, profiling, characterization and assay development to provide researchers with predictive analysis capabilities and a better understanding of biological functions at the protein level. ProteinChip Systems are enabling tools in the emerging field of protein-based biology research, known as proteomics. Proteomics provides a direct approach to understanding the role of proteins in the biology of disease, monitoring disease progression and evaluating the therapeutic effects and side effects of drugs. Ciphergen believes proteomics will be a major focus of biological research by enhancing the understanding of gene function and the molecular basis of disease. Additional information about Ciphergen can be found at www.ciphergen.com. |
