CombiMatrix Publishes Clinical Study of Its HerScan(tm) Breast Cancer Test
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Wed Jun 03 06:00:12 2009 EDT
MUKILTEO, Wash., Jun 3, 2009 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX News Network) --
CombiMatrix Corporation (Nasdaq:CBMX) today announced that the validation study
performed by its wholly owned subsidiary, Combimatrix Molecular Diagnostics (CMDX),
in collaboration with the Department of Pathology at the University of Texas Health
Science Center in San Antonio, TX (UTHSCSA) is available as an advance online publication
in the official journal of the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP),
Modern Pathology.
The online abstract can be reviewed at the following link: nature.com
HerScan(tm) is an array based test that is designed to provide an accurate
and objective enumeration of the Her2 gene locus against the template of the whole
genome. Moreover, because the copy number status of the Her2 gene, as well as that
of a comprehensive representation of the whole cancer genome is contextualized by
individual chromosomes, the HerScan(tm) test facilitates subtyping of breast cancers
into the five different subtypes that are cytogenetically characteristic: Luminal
A, Luminal B, Her2, Basal-Like and Complex unclassified. Consequently, for the first
time in a single test, the HerScan(tm) test provides insights into the genomic architecture,
and hence etiology and prognosis of the breast cancer, which may be combined with
anatomic pathology to facilitate the most appropriate therapeutic regimes for each
individual patient.
Dr. Mansoor Mohammed, President and CEO of CMDX noted, "In the current study,
our scientists at CMDX and collaborators at UTHSCSA led by Dr. I-Tien Yeh were able
to demonstrate that traditional conclusions pertaining to the multiplicity, or copy
number, of chromosome 17 may be incorrect. Because chromosome 17 enumeration is
used as the basis for interpreting Her2 gene amplification in a majority of breast
cancer cases, our findings are particularly ground-breaking and clinically relevant.
I remain very proud of our team at CMDX and their ability to join between strong
commercialization successes and equally impressive academic accomplishments," concluded
Dr. Mohammed.
"With the acceptance of our current HerScan(tm) test data to Modern Pathology,
and the several publications that have also recently been accepted for our HemeScan
test, the academic and clinical legitimacy of our cancer array portfolio is established,"
stated Dr. Shelly Gunn, Medical Director of CMDX and senior author on the Modern
Pathology publication. "As a pathologist myself, what impresses me most about our
cancer array portfolio is the fundamental ease with which it can be incorporated
into existing anatomic pathology reports and the transparency with which the data
derived from our tests can be evaluated and assessed. I firmly believe that the
latter characteristics distinguish our tests and that many patients will benefit
from the comprehensive nature of our cancer test portfolio as it expands into the
clinical arena."
Dr. Amit Kumar, President and CEO of CombiMatrix Corporation stated, "As
we continue to develop, launch, and validate our tests, the oncology market will
become a major focus and opportunity for us. While we have tests available for developmental
genetic analysis, during the next few months we will be leveraging our first to
market status and strong publication record of our cancer array tests to refocus
our efforts on oncology. Such a redirection of resources will also include additional
effort on our non-invasive screen for cancer." |
