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| |  P43 Blood Test Can Detect Early Stage of Breast Cancer GAITHERSBURG, Md., July 17, 1996-- Oncor, Inc. (AMEX: ONC) announced today that it has obtained an exclusive, worldwide license for a blood test capable of detecting early-stage breast cancer. After FDA approval, Oncor initially intends to market the blood test as a companion to conventional mammograms of women at high risk for the disease. "The p43 test detects an early immunological event in the body's response to the development of primary breast cancer that can be measured in patient blood, particularly with respect to women at high risk for breast cancer," said Chaya Moroz, Ph.D., who developed the test at Tel Aviv University's Sackler School of Medicine. According to a study of 3,400 women, including 900 patients with known breast cancer risk factors, such as family history of the disease, elevated levels of the p43 protein were strongly correlated with the presence of in situ (localized) and early (stage I/II) breast cancer. And, in follow-up of patients after surgery by periodic clinical exams, the test showed that p43 protein levels declined after removal of precancerous or malignant tumors. Studies suggest that the measure of p43 also can be a highly accurate predictor of tumor development and recurrence. "Given that mammography can often be inconclusive, the p43 test will offer physicians an additional objective indication of the existence of early breast cancer," said Dr. Jeffrey S. Ross, Oncor's Medical Director. "We believe that combining the p43 test with mammography may increase the accuracy of mammographic screening and particularly benefit women at high risk for the disease." Oncor intends to conduct further multi-center clinical trials to complete a PMA (Pre-Market Approval) application for submission to the FDA. The Company intends to market the test to complement its INFORM(TM) HER-2/neu gene amplification test, which is currently under review by the FDA for use in the management of breast cancer. In addition to its license agreement with the developers of the test, which include the National Health Institute of Israel, Chaya Moroz, Ph.D., Kupat Holim, Ph.D., and Leslie Misrock, J.D., Ph.D., Oncor also announced that patents covering the technology have now issued in the U.S. (#4,882,270; 4,954,434; 5,120,640; and 5,283,177). Additional patents are pending. Oncor, Inc. (http://www.oncorinc.com/home) develops, manufactures and markets gene-based test systems and related products for use in the detection and management of cancer and other human disease. This press release contains statements of a forward-looking nature regarding future events. These statements are only predictions and actual events may differ materially. Please refer to documents that Oncor, Inc. files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a discussion of certain factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements.
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