Archive for the ‘Personalized Medicine’ Category

OTTAWA The Ottawa Hospital is looking to gain a foothold in the fast-growing field of personalized medicine, which involves using gene sequencing to help doctors predict which drugs would work best for a particular patient.

The hospital has drawn up plans to set up a molecular diagnostics lab with the technology to decode hundreds of genes, or even the entire genomes of patients, which could yield new approaches for treating cancer and other serious diseases.

Details of the plan are still being worked out, and no funding has yet been committed to the project. The hospital is looking to raise $380,000 in seed money to get the lab off the ground. Another $1 million would have to be raised to buy the gene-sequencing equipment.

Hospital officials say the lab would mark a key step in making the relatively new technology of DNA sequencing a standard part of medical care. It would also position the hospital for an emerging field in which the medical establishment has placed great hope: studying entire genomes all of a patients DNA and identifying every mutation involved in a particular disease.

Experts say the approach would enable treatments to be customized to an individual patients genetic profile, which is miles away from the traditional trial-and-error method of giving every patient the same drugs in the hope of benefiting the fortunate few.

Down the road, the hospital wants to establish a teaching program that would train a new generation of pathologists with the skills to practise personalized medicine.

This is a very realistic vision, and I want Ottawa to be positioned as a provincial centre of excellence for molecular diagnostics, said Paula Doering, the hospitals vice-president of clinical programs.

Currently, the use of gene sequencing is most advanced in cancer care. Doctors use the information to guide more precise treatment, or to tailor drugs to the genetic traits of patients, with the goal of giving them a better chance of survival.

The idea is to avoid wasting precious time and money on potentially ineffective treatments, which expose countless patients to harmful side effects and inflate the nations drug spending.

Of the 7,000 cancer patients who are treated annually at The Ottawa Hospital, a high proportion receive testing for selective genes or chemical markers, especially if they have certain types of breast, lung, colorectal or gastrointestinal cancer, said Dr. David Stewart, the hospitals head of medical oncology.

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Ottawa Hospital eyes expansion into cutting-edge ‘molecular medicine’

LAS VEGAS, June 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --While many doctors continue to struggle with stagnant or decreasing revenues, long wait times for patients and the frustration that comes with dealing with medical insurance companies, others are saying personalized healthcare has helped turned their practices around.

Find out if personalized healthcare is right for you at a unique session for medical professionals that will be held immediately following the open to the general public "Live Better, Longer Optimal Health and Wellness withHormones, Nutrition and Preventive Medicine" Seminar, Saturday, June 16, from 11-noon at Life Time Athletic 10721 W. Charleston Blvd. Summerlin, NV 89135 Third Floor Conference Room.

During the special follow-up session, Dr. Michael S. Mall, Personalized Health Care, will explain why he, and many other experts, believe personalized health care is the future of medicine in the United States.

"Personalized healthcare provides doctors with an easier business model to reach out to patients with personalized and preventative healthcare," Mall said. "In fact, studies have shown that patients receiving personalized healthcare make, on average, 65% less hospital visits than patients receiving traditional medical care."

Mall said personalized healthcare offers a number of benefits for both patients and doctors. For example, patients enjoy:

Meanwhile, physicians get steady monthly revenue that ranges from $1,500 to $2,200 per patient and that includes a 90% yearly renewal rate.

Session attendees will learn how to take advantage of the growing personalized healthcare trend to organize their practice in a way that increases sales and profits while allowing them to provide improved patient care.

They'll also learn how to increase gross sales by over $1 million in just one year; receive financial tips from a Wells Fargo banker who specializes in helping medical practices; learn how to start using age management programs to send sales soaring; and much more.

In addition, the follow-up session will include more information on hormone therapy and how it in particular and anti-aging/age management programs in general can help increase a practice's profits.

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Attention Doctors: Is Personalized Healthcare the Answer to Your Practice Woes? Find Out at Upcoming Seminar

Verinata Health CEO Caren Mason has resigned but will continue to provide the company with consultative services. Mason joined Verinata in November 2010. She was previously the president and CEO of Quidel, president and CEO of MiraMedica, CEO of eMed Technologies, and general manager of GE Healthcare. The firm plans to recruit a new CEO.

Bruker has named Charles Wagner to be its new executive VP and chief financial officer, beginning at the end of June, Bruker said this week. Current CFO William Knight will continue to serve on the company's management team and will work with Wagner to ensure a smooth transition. Wagner also has stepped down from his positions on Bruker's board of directors and its audit committee, where he has served since 2010.

CLC Bio said this week that it has appointed Richard Lussier as director of business for the Americas region. He has worked in life sciences sales and commercial operations, most recently as VP of worldwide sales at RainDance Technologies. He formerly held leadership positions in sales, service, and support at Solexa, Fluidigm, Applied Biosystems, and Celera Genomics.

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Follow-Up Guide To Personalized Medicine Hits All The Right Notes

PerkinElmer (NYSE:PKI), a provider of life sciences tools and services, is launching a new Personalized Health Innovation Center of Excellence at an existing facility in Hopkinton, Mass. The creation of the center will add 100 workers to the Hopkinton operation, to a total of 350, through both new hires and relocating some existing personnel from other facilities. The Center will focus on accelerating scientific discoveries to help biotechnology researchers working on both personalized medicine drugs and diagnostic tools that help determine which patients will benefit most from which drugs. The center will be fully up and running before the end of the year, PerkinElmer executives said. The Hopkinton facility was previously the headquarters of Caliper Life Sciences, which was acquired by PerkinElmer last year for $600 million. The facility now houses the headquarters for the PerkinElmer Life Sciences and Technology business. We are delighted to establish our new Center of Excellence, which will serve as an exciting example of PerkinElmers commitment to, and culture of, innovation, Kevin Hrusovsky, President, Life Sciences & Technology, PerkinElmer, said. It will act as a foundation and catalyst for future advances in personalized health, as it concentrates the knowledge of our life sciences R&D and commercial leaders for greater scientific collaboration.

The center will bring together researchers from several teams including chemistry, biochemistry, cell biology, molecular biology and reagent development.

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PerkinElmer to open new Personalized Medicine Center

New studies highlighting the promise of individualized, precision medicine were released recently at a press briefing at the 48th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

These studies demonstrate that we are solidly in the era of precision medicine, in which patients benefit from a growing understanding of cancers genetic weak spots, said news briefing moderator Sylvia Adams, MD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at New York University Langone Medical Center. Todays findings promise to expand the range of effective, targeted treatments for people with cancer. They also affirm that patients in all settings, from research hospitals to smaller community institutions, can expect to benefit in the years ahead.

Key study findings include:

Media Resources:

About ASCO The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is the worlds leading professional organization representing physicians who care for people with cancer. With more than 30,000 members, ASCO is committed to improving cancer care through scientific meetings, educational programs and peer-reviewed journals. ASCO is supported by its affiliate organization, the Conquer Cancer Foundation, which funds ground-breaking research and programs that make a tangible difference in the lives of people with cancer. For more information, visit http://www.asco.org/presscenter. Patient-oriented cancer information is available atwww.cancer.net.

SOURCE: The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)

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Studies Highlight Advances In Personalized Cancer Medicine

With all the new stories and conversations about cancer, one phrase you will start to hear more and more is Personalized Medicine.

The OHSU Knight Cancer Institute is on the forefront of this newest approach to cancer treatment. Personalized medicines promise is simple: it is not just about new drugs. Its about but how each individuals cancer is diagnosed, the treatment program designed to best address each persons disease and their lifestyle, as well as a therapy that targets what is making their particular cancer grow.

On June 7 at 7:00pm, KOIN Local 6 and OHSU Knight Cancer Institute presents a very important medical special called Personalized Medicine Ending Cancer As We Know It; a half hour program that explores one of the most talked about diseases that impacts almost everybody.

Youll also get to talk live with the experts at the Knight Cancer Institute. Physicians, nurses and other cancer experts will speak with you one-on-one about your concerns and questions. The Knight Cancer Institute will open its phone lines up to you live. You can even submit questions on Facebook and Twitter. The phone lines and social media feeds open to your questions at 6:30pm.

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Personalized Medicine: Ending Cancer As We Know It

PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Regulatory News:

Exonhit (ALEHT.PA) announced today that it has been granted 1,928,000 by OSEO, as part of its involvement in a consortium led by ERYTECH Pharma and funded under the program for "Strategic Industrial Innovation". 1,126,000 were paid to Exonhit at the inception of the project during the first semester of 2012.

Headed by project leader ERYTECH Pharma, the consortium includes Exonhit, InGen BioSciences, AP-HP (Paris Public Hospitals), Inserm (National Institute for medical research), and Paris-Diderot University. It aims at developing innovative therapies for the enzymatic treatment of chemo- or radio-resistant cancers, and tools enabling personalized care of patients. This project, endorsed by the Competitiveness Cluster Lyonbiople, will last 8 years. The total amount awarded to the consortium amounts to approximately 10.7 million.

Exonhit was selected to participate in both phases of the project by using its proprietary Genome Wide SpliceArrayTM (GWSA) technology, to study tumor transcriptomic profiles in the initial phase, followed by the use of its capabilities in diagnostic test development to translate these profiles into a companion diagnostic.

The Company will be responsible for:

1) the identification of biomarkers of susceptibility to therapeutic response in the context of reducing the risks associated with the development of treatments, and

2) the development of an enzymatic therapy companion diagnostic that will identify responders, thus improving personalized care.

"This project is a new opportunity for the Company to implement its expertise in the development of companion diagnostics, and a key step in the implementation of our strategy in personalized medicine," said Loc Maurel, CEO of Exonhit. "The financial support of OSEO will also enable us to move towards solutions better adapted to the commercialization of diagnostics developed using our GWSA technology."

About the "Strategic Industrial Innovation" Program from OSEO

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Exonhit Receives € 1.93 Million from OSEO within the Personalized Medicine TEDAC Project in Cancer

BOULDER, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Biodesix, Inc., a fully integrated molecular diagnostics company dedicated to personalizing medicine, today announced that Paul Beresford, Ph.D., Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Marketing, will join industry veterans on a panel discussing the recipe for the successful commercialization of personalized medicine at the 2012 BIO International Conference being held in Boston, Mass. June 18-21, 2012.

The panel, Commercialization of Personalized Medicine: Stakeholders' Recipe For Success, will take place on Tuesday, June 19th from 3:45-5:00 p.m. EDT. Beresford joins Mara Aspinall, president and CEO of Ventana Medical Systems, a Roche Group; Glenn Miller, Vice President and Head of Personalized Medicine at AstraZeneca; and Ron Andrews, President, Medical Sciences at Life Technologies on the panel. With help from the panelists, who are successfully pioneering diagnostic products for personalized medicine, this session will gauge the power of collaboration to fuel personalized medicine and novel diagnostics, detail early successes, identify major challenges and debate the most attractive models for commercialization.

As personalized therapies continue to see rapid growth from the research side, this is the ideal time to create new business models that optimize the delivery of personalized medicine to patients by providing appropriate incentives to the businesses developing and commercializing these products, said Beresford. I am honored to join this group of innovators in discussing how to best approach this challenge.

Biodesix developed, validated and commercialized VeriStrat, a serum proteomic test currently available to help physicians guide treatment decisions for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. The test identifies patients who are likely to have good or poor outcomes after treatment with epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors (EGFRIs) using a simple blood draw. VeriStrat is based on ProTS, proprietary technology which harnesses the power of mass spectrometry and enables the discovery of specific molecular profiles that characterize a patients condition or likely outcome in response to therapy. Biodesix collaborates with clinical investigators and also partners with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies to develop diagnostics that can determine which patients are most likely to benefit from novel therapies.

About Biodesix: Biodesix is a personalized medicine company focused on the development of diagnostic products that inform treatment decisions and improve patient care. The Companys goal is to give physicians more information about the patient and their disease; understanding the clinically meaningful information contained within each patients molecular profile leads to better care and better outcomes. The Companys unique approach is based on ProTS, proprietary technology which harnesses the power of mass spectrometry and enables the discovery of specific molecular profiles. Biodesix collaborates with clinical investigators to address critical clinical questions, and partners with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies to develop diagnostics to select patients most likely to benefit from novel therapies. For more information about Biodesix, please visit http://www.Biodesix.com.

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Biodesix’ Paul Beresford Joins 2012 BIO Panel for Personalized Medicine Commercialization

BALTIMORE, June 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Sapio Sciences (http://www.SapioSciences.com) is pleased to announce the immediate availability of Exemplar Biomarker Discovery LIMS. This release is the result of Sapio's extensive experience in implementing LIMS with Biomarker Discovery at leading pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Exemplar Biomarker Discovery addresses these clients' needs for a single, integrated solution to a breadth of requirements.

Personalized Medicine: The Future of Medicine

It has been known that the idea that a "one size fits all" application of a drug to a disease is not practical. Each person has a unique response to a medication that will determine whether that particular drug will work for them or not. Ideally, certain biological markers, a.k.a. biomarkers, would be known that could be measured and used to predict the efficacy of any particular drug for a particular patient. This is the promise of personalized medicine.

With advances in genetics, genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics over the last two decades, it is now possible to perform detailed profiling of study subjects' response to treatments. The proper tracking and interpretation of this data can lead to the aforementioned desired patient profiling for a particular drug to have the best chance of success.

Proper interpretation of this data can also lead to the success or failure of a drug in clinical trials. Certain drugs may appear ineffective, but in fact are working for a small subset of the patient population with some combination of biomarkers. If these markers could be discovered, then the patient population can be preselected for suitable candidates, and the drug trial has a greater chance of success, whereas it may fail without such a predictor in place.

A Comprehensive Biomarker Discovery LIMS Solution

While the promise of personalized medicine is great, little actual progress has been made. One of the major reasons for this is the lack of tools to help manage the diverse and voluminous study data, and to interpret that data. At most companies this important data is spread across the organization in various applications, data stores, and spreadsheets. This means that making discoveries becomes extremely costly, time consuming, and sometimes impossible because of the lack of a single integrated view of the data.

Companies developing pharmaceuticals need to be able to track samples in the sense of traditional LIMS applications, but also want to be able to track treatment regimens, subjects and their phenotypic attributes, and assay data. Within the same application there is also the need to take this aggregated data and perform data mining queries and statistical analysis on it. A comprehensive Biomarker Discovery application should include all of the following:

Exemplar Biomarker Discovery LIMS addresses each of these needs while allowing for configurationcustomization meeting each company's specific requirements.

"The Exemplar Biomarker Discovery product release is the culmination of our extensive experience working with leading drug development firms who are aware of the importance of personalized medicine to their future success. Now, for the first time, these firms can get a single solution that addresses everything from sample management through study data management, assay data management, data mining and statistical analysis," says Kevin Cramer, VP of Sales and Marketing at Sapio.

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Sapio Sciences Announces Exemplar Biomarker Discovery LIMS for Personalized Medicine

IRVINE, Calif. and AMSTERDAM, May 31, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Agendia, an innovative molecular cancer diagnostics company and leader in personalized medicine, today announced that the company has raised USD $65 million in a private round of equity financing.

"The support we have received in this round of financing is a strong reflection of our recent growth and confidence in the commercialization of our product pipeline in the future," said David Macdonald, CEO of Agendia. "We will use these funds to expand commercialization of our current breast cancer Symphony suite of tests, as well as for development of our personalized medicine pipeline. We have recently launched our Symphony suite in an FFPE format, and we are preparing to launch our ColoPrint recurrence test for stage II colon cancer prognosis and prediction."

The financing round was led by the Debiopharm Group (Debiopharm), a leading drug development company based in Switzerland, with significant support from all of Agendia's current investors, including; The Van Herk Group, ING Corporate Investments, Breedinvest and Gilde Healthcare. Agendia also brought in other new investors for the financing round, including Korys, the investment structure of the Colruyt family and others.

"Debiopharm has been very impressed by the quality of the work and recent substantial progress made by Agendia to overcome the hurdles it faced in the past. Agendia pioneered and advocated the implementation of personalized cancer management strategies. Its offering (both commercially and scientifically) has advanced molecular cancer diagnosis in its growing role. Becoming successful in this still challenging area will lead to substantial improvements for the selection of cancer therapies and, therefore, also enhance the cost-effectiveness of highly innovative and valuable treatments for subsets of patients. In other words, to us, Agendia will support genuine win-win strategies and facilitate the reduction of the gap between the diagnostic and the drug world," said Thierry Mauvernay, Delegate of the Board of Debiopharm.

"We are absolutely delighted to bring Agendia into our investment portfolio," stated Vincent Vliebergh, CEO of Korys. "The company's molecular diagnostic tests for breast cancer, developed and validated in close collaboration with leading academic centers,enable physicians to determine the most effective treatment for each individual patient, leading to better health outcomes and lower costs. As such, we see Agendia as a catalyst in the shift to more personalized medicine, and we look forward to working with the company to make this vision come true."

About Agendia:

Agendia is a leading molecular diagnostic company that develops and markets genomic-based diagnostic products, which help support physicians with their complex treatment decisions. Agendia's breast cancer Symphony suite was developed using unbiased gene selection, analyzing the complete human genome, ensuring 100% definitive results for cancer patients. Symphony includes MammaPrint, the first and only FDA-cleared IVDMIA breast cancer recurrence assay, as well as BluePrint, a molecular subtyping assay, TargetPrint, an ER/PR/HER2 expression assay, and TheraPrint, an alternative therapy selection assay. Together, these tests help physicians determine a patient's individual risk for metastasis, which patients will benefit from chemo, hormonal, or combination therapy, and which patients do not require these treatments and can instead be treated with other less arduous and less costly methods.

In addition to the Symphony suite of tests, Agendia has a rich pipeline of genomic products in development. The company collaborates with pharmaceutical companies, leading cancer centers and academic groups to develop companion diagnostic tests in the area of oncology and is a critical partner in the ISPY-2 and MINDACT trials.

For more information, please visit http://www.agendia.com.

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Agendia Raises $65 Million in a Private Round of Equity Financing

WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

N-of-One, Inc., provider of Diagnostic Strategy Roadmaps and Treatment Strategy Roadmaps for personalized cancer care, announced today that the company has entered into a strategic collaboration with Foundation Medicine, Inc. to support the development of its fully informative molecular cancer profiles that can be used to guide individualized patient treatment strategies.

Foundation Medicine will use its state-of-the-art genomic sequencing and analytic capabilities on patient tumor samples to detect and analyze molecular alterations in hundreds of cancer-related genes to potentially identify biological markers that may be driving the onset, growth, and spread of an individuals cancer. N-of-One will apply its PrecisionWorks knowledge integration platform for personalized medicine to assist in the transformation of cancer-relevant genomic alteration data identified by Foundation Medicine into clinically relevant information by linking each molecular variation with up-to-date information about relevant targeted therapies and clinical trials that may be effective against the individuals tumor. Foundation Medicine provides its reports to oncologists to help them determine appropriate treatment strategies tailored to each patient based on their specific genomic profile.

This collaboration represents another important step toward transforming next-generation sequencing into a decision-making tool that empowers oncologists to act rapidly and decisively in providing precision treatment strategies for their patients, said Jennifer Levin Carter, MD, Founder and President of N-of-One. We are delighted to work with Foundation Medicine to convert comprehensive cancer-associated molecular data from its market-leading test into customized reports that will help physicians optimize treatment strategies and improve patient outcomes.

N-of-One is a leader in the curation of molecular information, said Kevin Krenitsky, MD, COO of Foundation Medicine. N-of-One has developed a knowledge integration platform that will help us translate genomic alteration data into information that can be provided to clinicians to help them understand and act upon the genomic data we provide. We are excited to collaborate with N-of-One to provide our fully informative genomic profile to benefit patients.

About N-of-One

N-of-One is dedicated to helping oncologists identify optimal personalized diagnostic and treatment strategies for each individual patienteach n of one. Powered by our proprietary PrecisionWorks knowledge integration platform, the N-of-One team develops roadmaps that drive highly informed clinical decision-making by linking data about the molecular variations in each patients cancer cells with leading-edge knowledge, diagnostics, treatments, and technologies relevant to the tumor type. PrecisionWorks also powers solutions that address the unique logistical and procedural challenges of delivering personalized cancer care by streamlining coordination among health care providers, diagnostic companies, payers, drug and technology innovators, and patients. N-of-One works with physicians and therefore does not providemedical advice nor promote any product orservice. For more information, please visit http://www.n-of-one.com.

About Foundation Medicine

Foundation Medicine is a molecular information company dedicated to a transformation in cancer care in which treatment is informed by a deep understanding of the genomic changes that contribute to each patients unique cancer. The company has developed a fully informative genomic profile to identify a patients individual molecular alterations and match them with relevant targeted therapies and clinical trials. Foundation Medicines molecular information platform aims to improve day-to-day care for patients by serving the needs of clinicians, academic researchers and drug developers to help advance the science of molecular medicine in cancer. For more information, please visit the companys website http://www.foundationmedicine.com.

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N-of-One Announces Agreement with Foundation Medicine to Provide the First Patient-Specific Genomic Diagnostic ...

MASON, Ohio, May 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --AssureRx Health, Inc. today announced the closing of a $12.5 million Series C financing. The personalized medicine company, which provides clinically-relevant information to help physicians select the right drug for individual neuropsychiatric patients, will use the funds to increase commercial activities for its two flagship pharmacogenomic products, GeneSightRx Psychotropic and GeneSightRx ADHD, as well as next generation product development activities.

The financing was led by Four Rivers Group and existing investors Claremont Creek Ventures and Sequoia Capital. The financing also included participation of existing investors Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Mayo Clinic, CincyTech, Allos Ventures, as well as new investors jVen Capital and Alafi Capital. New investors Four Rivers, jVen Capital, and Alafi Capital bring to AssureRx Health further expertise and partnering connections to help AssureRx Health continue building its leadership position in psychiatric pharmacogenomics.

"Our goal is to build the leading clinical informatics company providing pharmacogenomic and other treatment decision support products to help physicians individualize the treatment of patients with neuropsychiatric and other disorders," said James S. Burns, president and CEO of AssureRx Health. "Proceeds from the Series C financing will be used to expand sales coverage, sponsor multiple clinical studies, and develop new products to help accelerate our leadership position in psychiatric personalized medicine."

Warren Hogarth, partner at Sequoia Capital, said, "AssureRx products have the potential to change the way physicians select the appropriate medications for each of their patients. AssureRx is at the cutting edge of providing treatment decision support products for a very large global psychiatric market. We believe that AssureRx Health is building a world class company."

John Steuart, managing director of Claremont Creek Ventures said, "AssureRx has enormous potential to lead the transformation of neuropsychiatric care toward personalized patient treatment. GeneSightRx Psychotropic, GeneSightRx ADHD and future pharmacogenomic products hold the promise for faster, better patient outcomes and less costly care. We believe that AssureRx products have the potential for significant adoption by the psychiatric community, leading ultimately to incorporating pharmacogenomics into routine psychiatric practice guidelines."

From a simple cheek swab, the GeneSightRx technology measures and analyzes clinically important genetic variants that determine how a patient's unique genetic make-up affects his or her ability to tolerate or effectively respond to psychotropic medications. Patient-specific genetic information obtained through GeneSightRx can assist physicians in the process of selecting appropriate antidepressant and antipsychotic medications for individual patients.

About Claremont Creek Ventures Claremont Creek Ventures (CCV) is a seed and early stage venture firm. CCV invests in digital healthcare, energy technology, payments/commerce, and online businesses. Utilizing the firm's proprietary life-cycle venturing program, Claremont Creek Ventures also partners with entrepreneurs and institutions, including UC Berkeley, Lawrence Livermore Labs, Stanford University and UC Davis. Claremont Creek has more than $300 million in capital under management in two funds. CCV's digital healthcare investments in addition to AssureRx Health include Genalyte, GeneWeave, GigaGen, Fluxion Biosciences, Natera, Tibion and Zipline Medical. For more information, visit http://www.claremontcreek.com.

About Sequoia Capital Sequoia Capital provides venture capital funding to founders of startups who want to turn business ideas into enduring companies. As the "Entrepreneurs Behind the Entrepreneurs", Sequoia Capital's Partners have worked with innovators such as Steve Jobs of Apple Computer, Larry Ellison of Oracle, Bob Swanson of Linear Technology, Sandy Lerner and Len Bozack of Cisco Systems, Dan Warmenhoven of NetApp, Jerry Yang and David Filo of Yahoo!, Jen-Hsun Huang of NVIDIA, Michael Marks of Flextronics, Larry Page and Sergey Brin of Google, Chad Hurley and Steve Chen of YouTube, Dominic Orr and Keerti Melkote of Aruba Networks, Tony Hsieh of Zappos, Omar Hamoui of Admob, Steve Streit of Green Dot and Reid Hoffman and Jeff Weiner of LinkedIn. To learn more about Sequoia Capital visitwww.sequoiacap.com/us.

About AssureRx Health AssureRx Health, Inc. is a personalized medicine company specializing in pharmacogenomics and is dedicated to helping physicians determine the right drug for individual patients suffering from neuropsychiatric and other disorders. The GeneSightRx analysis is based on pharmacogenomics, the study of the genetic factors that influence an individual's response to drug treatments, FDA approved manufacturers' drug labels, scientific and clinical peer-reviewed publications, and proven pharmacology. Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and Mayo Clinic are equity holders and technology collaborators. To learn more about pharmacogenomics and GeneSightRx, please click here.

Contacts: James S. Burns President & CEO AssureRx Health, Inc. (513) 234-0510 e-mail: jburns@assurerxhealth.com

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AssureRx Health Raises $12.5 Million Series C Financing

Personalized medicine testmaker AssureRx Health has raised a $12.5 million series C round of investment that itll use to help commercialize its tests that help doctors pick the right drugs based on a patients genes.

The latest funding for the Cincinnati-area company is further evidence of how lucrative a field investors believe personalized medicine can be. Todays series C investment follows an $8 million line of credit earlier this year and an $11 million series B round of funding last year.

The funding will go towards expanding sales coverage, sponsoring multiple clinical studies, and developing new products, the company said.

Its first test, GeneSightRx Psychotropic, takes the same approach for psychiatric drugs.

The latest round was led by Four Rivers Group and existing investors Claremont Creek Ventures and Sequoia Capital, and featured a host of other participants, including Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center and Mayo Clinic.

Our goal is to build the leading clinical informatics company providing pharmacogenomic and other treatment decision support products to help physicians individualize the treatment of patients with neuropsychiatric and other disorders, CEO Jim Burns said in a statement.

In the past, AssureRx has said that future products could include tests that help doctors choose medications for patients who have neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimers or Parkinsons, as well as disorders such as post-traumatic stress.

A company spokesman didnt immediately return a call.

Excerpt from:
Personalized medicine testmaker AssureRx raises $12.5M series C round

29-05-2012 11:51

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Pioneering Outcomes in Personalized Medicine - Video

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Dublin - Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/z5lhvb/pharmacogenomics_i) has announced the addition of John Wiley and Sons Ltd's new book "Pharmacogenomics in Clinical Therapeutics" to their offering.

Pharmacogenomics is the basis of personalized medicine which will be the medicine of the future. Through both reducing the numbers of adverse drug reactions and improving the use of existing drugs in targeted populations, pharmacogenomics represents a real advance on traditional therapeutic drug monitoring.

Pharmacogenomics in Clinical Therapeutics provides an introduction to the principles of pharmacogenomics before addressing the pharmacogenomic aspects of key therapeutic areas such as warfarin therapy, cancer chemotherapy, therapy with immunosuppressants, antiretroviral therapy, and psychoactive drugs. It also includes methods of pharmacogenomic testing and the pharmacogenomic aspects of drug-drug interactions.

From a team of expert contributors, Pharmacogenomics in Clinical Therapeutics is a comprehensive overview of the current state of pharmacogenomics in pharmacotherapy for all clinicians, pharmacologists and clinical laboratory professionals. It is also a guide for practicing clinicians and health care professionals to the basic principles of pharmacogenomics, laboratory tests currently available to aid clinicians, and the future promise of this developing field.

Key Topics Covered:

1 Pharmacogenomics Principles: Introduction to Personalized Medicine

2 Traditional Therapeutic Drug Monitoring and Pharmacogenomics: Are They Complementary?

3 Pharmacogenomics Aspect of Warfarin Therapy

4 Pharmacogenetics and Cancer Chemotherapy

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Research and Markets: Pharmacogenomics in Clinical Therapeutics: Comprehensive Overview for All Clinicians ...

FARMINGTON

Dr. Frank Torti, the University of Connecticut Health Center's new vice president of health affairs, says that personalized medicine could be the next big thing in health care and that he expects the university to play a major role in it.

With UConn's work in genomics and the upcoming arrival of genetic research company Jackson Laboratory to campus, Torti said the health center is well-positioned to advance the field of personalized medicine, in which a patient's genetic information is used to customize treatment for a particular condition.

"Where we want UConn to lead is where we can actually begin to identify for individual patients drugs that are likely to work for them and be able to identify drugs that are likely to produce toxicity," Torti said, sitting in his new, sparsely furnished office. "If we can do that, we would change the face of how medicine is delivered. If we can do that, people will laugh at 20th-century and early 21st-century medicine the way that we now laugh at some of the things that were done in the 19th century, because we will have changed the way that we conceptualize how to treat a patient for a disease."

Now four weeks into his new position, Torti recently outlined his goals for the next few years.

"We want to find those areas, those intersections where science is going nationally and worldwide that's one part of the question," he said. "The other part of it is where does UConn currently, or could, have a unique contribution to that?"

Developing science is only half the battle. Actually getting it to the public is the other half. Negotiating the maze of the drug approval process is a matter that requires its own expertise, he said, and his earlier work as chief scientist and acting commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration should help significantly in that respect.

"I have seen many good compounds, many good potential drugs never reach patients not because they weren't effective, but because the [developer] did not understand the pathway to get that drug approved," he said. "This is a science in its own right. This is a science that I bring to UConn."

UConn President Susan Herbst said that Torti's FDA experience was one reason she wanted to bring him to the health center.

"Drug discovery is a critical part of what we're going for," she said. "With our investment in genomics and in stem cell research, we need the expertise of someone who understands the drug approval process. To have someone who led the FDA, that's special and unusual for a university."

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New UConn Health Center Chief Looks Ahead

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Nasdaq: TEVA; TASE: TEVA) will enter the personalized medicine field, which will have high efficiency to cost ratios, albeit limited market segments, says Harel Finance analyst Steven Tepper following yesterday's speech by new Teva president and CEO Dr. Jeremy Levin at the ILSI Biomed 2012 National Life Sciences and Technology Week conference. Tepper says that the appointment of Dr. Michal Hayden, an expert in personalized medicine, as president of Global R&D and Chief Scientific Officer hints at this direction.

Tepper says, "Teva will continue to be a leader in generics, and will presumably continue to develop non-prescription drugs and biosimilars, which are essential in a world of escalating health expenses." He adds, "Teva is not abandoning the innovative field, but will presumably try to focus on the diseases of tomorrow in an attempt to reach drugs with high cost-efficiency ratios."

Finally, "Teva, which already has geographical diversity, will continue to expand geographically, especially in emerging markets, such as China and India, as well as in South America."

Tepper gives Teva a "Buy" recommendation with a target price of $55/NIS 212. Teva's share price rose 1.5% by early afternoon on the TASE today to NIS 150.20, after rising 0.5% on Nasdaq yesterday to $39.18, giving a market cap of $36.9 billion.

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - http://www.globes-online.com - on May 23, 2012

Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2012

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Harel: Teva to enter personalized medicine field

MONTREAL - Custom-made therapy rather than a one-size-fits-all approach is being hailed as the new medical reality, but theres a gap between great expectations and what current technology and limited means can offer, especially when it comes to treatment for cancer patients, experts say.

A provincial cancer advocacy group will be looking at the promise of personalized medicine at a symposium in Montreal Wednesday featuring top-notch researchers in cancer and novel treatments.

The conference coincides with a series of public hearings by the Quebec commission on ethics in science and technology, held in Montreal, Quebec and Rimouski, on personalized medicine: Who? How? And at what price?

What does personalized medicine actually mean to the patient, the researcher, the commercial developer and to society, which may or may not be able to pay the costs generated by new technologies, said Nathalie Rodrigue of the Coalition Priorit Cancer, whose advocacy group supports patients timely access to advanced treatments.

Personalized medicine is a proactive approach to health care based on technological advances that enable the use of genetic or molecular information in treating and preventing disease, according to the definition by CEPMED, the Montreal-based centre for excellence in personalized medicine.

That innovation includes whole genome sequencing or spelling out a persons entire DNA genetic code, as an option for personalized prevention programs and follow-up medical treatment.

Some scientists are going beyond genome analysis and using cutting-edge sequencing to identify mutations at the root of a patients tumour. Cancer treatment is then determined by various tests during a patients treatment to see how the tumour evolves and reacts to medication.

Science can do a lot to map the genetic evolution of disease and monitor response to treatment, said research oncologist Mark Basik of the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research at the Montreal Jewish General Hospital.

But we have to go very slowly and carefully adapt all these discoveries to the clinic, Basik said. Some renowned clinics in the United States started tests for personalized treatment of certain tumours only to discover that the therapy was not hitting its target because the tumour had evolved again, he added.

Or, they were not confirmed in larger trials so those tests were offered prematurely, he said. Its a shortcut we cannot take. We have to make sure repeatedly that these things do what they are meant to do.

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Symposium to explore personalized medicine

Public release date: 23-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Kim Menard kim.menard@uphs.upenn.edu 215-662-6183 University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

PHILADELPHIA - While researchers are busy identifying new biomarkers to detect disease and tailor treatments to individual needs, legal battles have been waged all the way up to the Supreme Court, trying to sort out whether a private company can own the rights to a particular biomarker.

In a new Perspective piece published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, Jason Karlawish, MD, professor of Medicine, Medical Ethics and Health Policy in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and co-author Aaron S. Kesselheim, MD, JD, MPH, from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, delve into a series of high profile court cases testing the limits of patent protection.

In the months since a US Supreme Court ruling unanimously "rendered invalid two patents covering a method for determining proper drug dosage," as Nature reports, discussions have swirled about how to pay for personalized medicine. The NEJM co-authors report that "a patentable process now needs to involve an inventive and novel application of a law of nature beyond well-understood, routine, conventional activity, previously engaged in by those in the field."

Without patents protecting such medical discoveries, some have argued that there is no way to recoup the costs of biomarker innovation. To that end, Supreme Court Justice Breyer suggested whether special market-exclusivity protection was warranted.

Instead, the authors suggest that enhanced public funding, public-private partnerships, and open-source consortia may improve biomarker discovery and development, more than a private model. According to the NEJM piece, "the Supreme Court's move to free the fundamental processes of medical diagnosis from private ownershipcould ultimately enhance the public health."

As biomarkers become more and more prevalent -- helping diagnose diseases, and pairing with treatments targeted to individual needs -- there will need to be solutions to balance the needs of ensuring access to this useful information and paying for personalized medicine.

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Penn Medicine is one of the world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $4.3 billion enterprise.

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Who pays for personalized medicine?

In complex therapeutic areas such as oncology, thought leaders have long sought improvements to lengthy trials, hit-or-miss treatments and soaring research costs. While there is still much to be resolved, the rise of personalized medicine has set its sights on these and other obstacles in the pursuit of more targeted and efficient therapies.

The one-size-fits-all approach that has dominated clinical drug development has been the most appropriate route when costs are considered, but this strategy has failed to meet the needs of the patient. Guesswork has dominated drug development for far too long, leading to a push to make drugs mechanistic through molecular target validation, biomarker identification and other techniques.

Researchers are only now beginning to make headway into the importance of gene variation, which highlights the importance of close analysis of individual patients in the pursuit of the right type of patient-oriented therapy needed. Scientists are also making important breakthroughs in the understanding of variables such as genetic changes and drug sensitivity, which have dramatic implications for determining how effective specific medications might be for unique individuals. The promise of smaller, faster studies that could allow for the testing of a much higher volume of treatments is becoming more and more difficult to ignore.

However, a host of obstacles have stood in the way of a more personalized approach:

The questions listed above are not the only challenges that threaten a more widespread adoption of personalized medicine. A move toward personalized therapies will necessitate an overhaul of the way research is considered and executed, including the conduct of clinical studies. Study administrators will have to acknowledge and work around long timeframes for reaching trial endpoints.

Overcoming the entrenched risk aversion that is part of the culture of regulatory and statistical mindsets is also necessary. In an industry that is leery of any element of risk, it will be a challenge to accept and embrace the risk that is inherent within personalized medicine.

Adoption of New Technology, Better Collaboration is Needed In the face of many obstacles, there is still optimism surrounding the path forward for personalized medicine. Some researchers feel nanotechnology could offer access to data that can help narrow the focus of personalized treatments, and others hold high hopes for sequencing and translational bioinformatics.

Of course, in order to capitalize on the possibilities of personalized medicine, strides must be made in key areas. Advocates are calling for the FDA to deliver more clarity surrounding personalized therapies, while others feel that collaboration among a host of healthcare disciplines is needed in order to reach the customization and individualization that could mark successful personalized treatments.

While the road ahead may be rocky and the task may seem daunting, industry observers not only recognize the immense promise of personalized medicine, but feel that it is a necessary evolution in clinical research and drug development.

Despite its unfulfilled promises, wrote Paul Thomas of Pharma QbD, personalized medicine still provides the greatest hope for change and for Big Pharma to rediscover success.

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Assessing the Landscape for Personalized Medicine

(Phys.org) -- By investigating the existence of an unusual four-stranded structure of DNA in human cells, scientists have opened the door to novel cancer therapeutics and a new era for personalised medicine.

When Watson and Crick discovered the double helix structure of DNA in 1953, they declared they had found the secret of life. However, as in all pursuits of science, the story did not end there. Less than 60 years later, a team led by chemist Professor Shankar Balasubramanian and cancer biologist Professor Steve Jackson has found that an unusual four-stranded configuration of DNA also forms at sites across the human genome in living cells.

Although known about by scientists for decades, the structure was considered to be something of a structural curiosity rather than a feature found in nature. It forms in regions of DNA that are rich in one of its building blocks, guanine (G), when a single strand of the double-stranded DNA loops out and doubles back on itself, forming a four-stranded handle in the genome.

G-quadruplexes have been known to occur at the ends of chromosomes in the regions known as telomeres, but it wasnt until a strong association had been noticed with genes responsible for cell proliferation that Balasubramanian and others began to suspect that G-quadruplexes might be a potential target for cancer therapy. If you synthesize a quadruplex-binding molecule and put it into cancer cells, it can impair the growth of these cells, he said. Weve come such a long way from thinking that we understand the genome and it appeared that this structure could tell us something new.

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Protecting the genetic code

At the heart of the new discovery is an innovative way of locating the structures in living cells and then capturing them for further examination. The scientists discovered that when pyridostatin binds to G-quadruplex DNA it causes a double-strand break in the double helix when the cell tries to replicate and copy its genes: Pyridostatin binding to G-quadruplexes is a major impediment to copying the genome so if a cell tries to replicate, this will generate breaks in the DNA, said Jackson.

Over the years, Jacksons lab has found that there are certain proteins in the cell that act as molecular policemen, patrolling the nucleus of the cell looking for damaged DNA. If they detect damage, they start making repairs, and at the same time set off alarm signals to alert the rest of the cell that theres a problem.

When there is no DNA damage, these molecular policemen are distributed evenly throughout each cells nucleus. But when cells are treated with pyridostatin, they congregate in specific locations on the DNA, indicating regions of damage, and showing up as dots under the microscope. The field really jumped on the idea that these dots represent telomeres that have G-rich sequences and in vitro have the potential to form G-quadruplexes, said Jackson. But we stained the dots for telomere proteins and found there was only a small amount of overlap. So clearly, this pyridostatin compound is inducing DNA damage in lots of other places, and we were faced with the issue: if they are not telomeres, what are they?

This confirmed an earlier finding in Balasubramanians lab by Julian Huppert, then a PhD student, who devised a computational search algorithm to map out every spot in the entire human genome that had potential to fold into a G-quadruplex. He found there were close to 350,000 of them.

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A new dimension to DNA and personalized medicine of the future

NEW YORK & PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Bionest Partners, a premier strategy and management consulting firm for the life science industries, and a recognized leader in personalized medicine (PM) strategy consulting, announces the publication of an article in a recent issue of Nature Reviews Drug Discovery (NRDD).

This article, a result of the FDA Personalized Medicine Initiative a consortium effort across the FDA, industry and academia analyzes the key value drivers of PM development and commercialization strategies, elucidates a comprehensive approach for evaluating these strategies, and employs various modeling tools to support decision-making.

The publication of this article is timely, given the significant and increasing commitment to PM by pharmaceutical companies, highlighted by recent PM launches such as Xalkori and Zelboraf, and notable PM candidates in the pipeline including T-DM1 (Roche/Genentech, for Her2 positive breast cancer), Dabrafenib (GSK, for BRAF V600E positive melanoma), and Afatinib (BI, for EGFR mutation positive NSCLC).

Dr. Sean X. Hu, Head of Bionest USA and Managing Partner, North America, a co-lead author of the article, and the only representative from the management consulting industry serving in the FDA PM Initiative consortium, points out that the key to successful decision-making around whether and how best to incorporate biomarkers into drug development and commercialization depends on an in-depth understanding of multiple disciplines: the underlying science, clinical trial design and development paths, regulatory requirements, partnership and coordination between drug and diagnostic partners, drug and diagnostic commercialization, pricing and market access, and decision-making in the context of many uncertainties. This article identifies key value drivers and risk factors associated with PM drug and diagnostic development and commercialization. In addition, it presents a coherent approach to tie these factors together, and describes the use of financial modeling tools to arrive at such metrics as risk-adjusted net present value (NPV) and return on investment (ROI) metrics that companies often use to make key investment decisions for their products.

Dr. Federico Goodsaid, who co-authored the article while at the FDA and is currently VP of Strategic Regulatory Intelligence at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, adds: This consortium, with the participation of FDA, academic institutions and many pharmaceutical companies, was a unique opportunity to advance the field of PM by tackling one of the bottlenecks in optimizing decision-making on PM development and commercialization strategies how to quantify the commercial value of a potential biomarker-based strategy. Sean and his team made this work possible with their knowledge about PM, advanced modeling tools, and rigor in the application of decision-analysis methods to assess the value of PM strategic options and to account for their corresponding risks and uncertainties.

Bionest is attending the upcoming ASCO 2012 Annual Meeting in Chicago, June 1 5, 2012. For further discussions with Dr. Hu and his Bionest team on PM strategies, either at ASCO 2012 or another occasion, please contact Dr. Rachel Laing (rlaing@bionest.com).

Bionest is a powerhouse in PM strategy consulting, experienced in a broad spectrum of project types, from corporate level PM business models, commercialization capability building, R&D and commercialization business processes, and organizational structure, to development and commercialization strategies for individual drug assets and companion diagnostics.

In addition, Bionest has been driving thought leadership on PM, with many articles published or in development on the strategic, commercial and technical aspects of PM, including a recent article in collaboration with the Personalized Medicine Coalition (PMC) in the December 2011 supplement issue of Science which describes the approaches for optimization of PM decision-making.

For more details, please visit http://www.bionest.com, and navigate to section Strategic/Practices/Personalized Medicine Strategy.

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Bionest Publishes Landmark Article on Quantitative Financial Analysis of Personalized Medicine Strategies

This graphic depicts a new ultrasensitive biosensor that could open up new opportunities for early detection of cancer and "personalized medicine" tailored to the specific biochemistry of individual patients. The device, called a Flexure-FET biosensor, could be several hundred times more sensitive than other biosensors. (Purdue University image)

(Phys.org) -- Researchers have created an ultrasensitive biosensor that could open up new opportunities for early detection of cancer and "personalized medicine" tailored to the specific biochemistry of individual patients.

The device, which could be several hundred times more sensitive than other biosensors, combines the attributes of two distinctly different types of sensors, said Muhammad A. Alam, a Purdue University professor of electrical and computer engineering.

"Individually, both of these types of biosensors have limited sensitivity, but when you combine the two you get something that is better than either," he said.

Findings are detailed in a paper appearing Monday (May 14) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The paper was written by Purdue graduate student Ankit Jain, Alam and Pradeep R. Nair, a former Purdue doctoral student who is now a faculty member at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay.

The device called a Flexure-FET biosensor - combines a mechanical sensor, which identifies a biomolecule based on its mass or size, with an electrical sensor that identifies molecules based on their electrical charge. The new sensor detects both charged and uncharged biomolecules, allowing a broader range of applications than either type of sensor alone.

The sensor has two potential applications: personalized medicine, in which an inventory of proteins and DNA is recorded for individual patients to make more precise diagnostics and treatment decisions; and the early detection of cancer and other diseases.

In early cancer diagnostics, the sensor makes possible the detection of small quantities of DNA fragments and proteins deformed by cancer long before the disease is visible through imaging or other methods, Alam said.

The sensor's mechanical part is a vibrating cantilever, a sliver of silicon that resembles a tiny diving board. Located under the cantilever is a transistor, which is the sensor's electrical part.

In other mechanical biosensors, a laser measures the vibrating frequency or deflection of the cantilever, which changes depending on what type of biomolecule lands on the cantilever. Instead of using a laser, the new sensor uses the transistor to measure the vibration or deflection.

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Ultrasensitive biosensor promising for medical diagnostics

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire -05/15/12)- World-renowned prostate surgeon, Dr. David Samadi, may soon have the equation he needs to strengthen his approach to personalized medicine and prostate cancer treatment. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine developed a new prostate cancer diagnostic formula to accurately predict the lifecycle of a man's prostate cancer.

Beyond confirming the presence of prostate cancer, this new test gives unprecedented insight into the cancer's aggressiveness and the likelihood of relapse after treatment. By conducting genetic analysis of copy number variations (CNV) in the tumor cells, the cells of the surrounding benign tissue, and the blood cells, experts were able to predict the prostate cancer's path with as much as 81 percent accuracy.

"This may be the magic mix we need to fully understand prostate cancer once it's diagnosed," expressed Dr. Samadi. "Being able to unlock the aggressiveness of each unique diagnosis and then tailor surgery and other treatments accordingly will elevate how we eradicate prostate cancer exponentially."

The prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test and follow-up biopsy receive ongoing scrutiny for their diagnostic limitations. Despite even the government poking holes in these tests, Dr. Samadi remains a steadfast proponent of their effectiveness. "The PSA test and the biopsy are the best prostate cancer indicators we have today," said Dr. Samadi. "As an expert, my job is to educate men about their disease and offer the most personalized and effective care possible."

As Vice Chairman, Department of Urology, and Chief of Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery at The Mount Sinai Medical Center, Dr. Samadi's robotic prostate removal surgery is one of the most effective prostate cancer treatment options available. Using his custom SMART (Samadi Modified Advanced Robotic Technique) surgery he has successfully removed over 4,000 cancerous prostates.

While his results are impressive -- 96% of his patients regain continence and 85% regain sexual function with proper follow-up care -- Dr. Samadi's focus remains on the patients and their families.

"Personalized medicine is a buzz phrase right now," he admits, "but it's truly the way my staff and I have approached patients for years. The possibility of this new CNV analysis will revolutionize how we tailor the treatment and care of each patient."

Dr. Samadi's staff expertly manages all aspects of patient coordination before each prostate surgery, for both domestic and international patients. During the surgery itself, one team is consistently present and Dr. Samadi performs the entire procedure himself. In the weeks and months following surgery, he works closely with men and their partners to ensure restoration of quality of life and a zero PSA.

After further testing, this first-of-its-kind CNV test could have a major impact on the confidence with which men and their specialists make prostate cancer treatment choices as early as 2015.

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New Equation in Prostate Cancer Diagnosis Yields Best Answer Yet

Newswise New Brunswick, N.J., May 15, 2012 With recent advancements in technology and biomedical informatics, a more personalized approach to prescribing cancer treatment and developing these therapies is preferred over one-size-fits-all methods. The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) has been on the cutting-edge of this movement and is now launching a more concrete effort that is poised to change the way that molecular and genetic information is being used to diagnose and treat cancer an initiative known as precision medicine also known to many as personalized medicine. CINJ is a Center of Excellence of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

Research has shown that cancer is not one disease, but rather a collection of diseases. Each cancer sub-type boasts its own individual molecular makeup, which in many cases results in cancer growth and resistance to cancer-killing drugs. By further defining the molecular profile of various cancer subtypes, investigators hope to apply this information toward developing targeted therapies. Large scale efforts on the national and local levels including those at CINJ have been underway to collect correlating clinical and genomic data to use as a road map in determining diagnosis, prognosis and course of treatment. With CINJs newly-established precision medicine initiative, specialized investigators will further integrate that information using state-of-the-art technology to better catalogue and expedite the flow of data from researcher to doctor to patient and in turn back to the researcher.

Leading CINJs initiative for precision medicine is Lorna Rodriguez, MD, PhD, who served as CINJs chief of gynecologic oncology from 2000 until this year before being asked to take on this new role. Dr. Rodriguez has years of experience running her own investigator-initiated clinical trials including research on cancer metastasis, drug resistance and the CD44 cell surface receptor and the role it plays in ovarian cancer metastasis. She feels the impact of precision medicine both on patients and on the health/biomedical communities will be tremendous. For the most part, clinicians are forced to rely on limited information to make treatment decisions, as there hasnt been a mechanism to collect and catalogue such comprehensive data as tissue samples, patient history and treatment records to create the tumor profiles necessary for more personalized treatments, noted Rodriguez, who is also a professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. By compiling and further curating a collection of molecular and genetic data that will help drive new targeted therapies, we will be helping patients better manage their disease.

This also will translate into cost savings, as no longer will doctors need to rely on hit-or-miss medicine, continued Rodriguez, who also performs gynecologic cancer surgeries and helps patients navigate chemotherapy options. Currently, if one treatment is found to be ineffective, others are used -- and they come at a cost, both financially and in terms of lost time when the patient might have received effective treatment. With the prospects of precision medicine, we are moving closer to an era where we will be able to tailor cancer treatments to perfectly fit individualized patient profiles. This will also lead us to a better understanding in diagnosing disease and providing a prognosis.

The breast cancer drug trastuzumab is one example of how genomic information is helping to drive targeted cancer therapies. Study has shown that trastuzumab is effective for 20 percent of breast cancer patients whose cancer cells make too much of the HER2-positive protein. Because a genetic test can indicate whether a patient has the HER2-positive profile, doctors can better determine whether trastuzumab might be an effective treatment for them.

About The Cancer Institute of New Jersey The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (www.cinj.org) is the states first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center dedicated to improving the detection, treatment and care of patients with cancer, and serving as an education resource for cancer prevention. CINJs physician-scientists engage in translational research, transforming their laboratory discoveries into clinical practice, quite literally bringing research to life. To make a tax-deductible gift to support CINJ, call 732-235-8614 or visit http://www.cinjfoundation.org. CINJ is a Center of Excellence of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TheCINJ.

The CINJ Network is comprised of hospitals throughout the state and provides the highest quality cancer care and rapid dissemination of important discoveries into the community. Flagship Hospital: Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. System Partner: Meridian Health (Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Ocean Medical Center, Riverview Medical Center, Southern Ocean Medical Center, and Bayshore Community Hospital). Major Clinical Research Affiliate Hospitals: Carol G. Simon Cancer Center at Morristown Medical Center, Carol G. Simon Cancer Center at Overlook Medical Center, and Cooper University Hospital. Affiliate Hospitals: CentraState Healthcare System, JFK Medical Center, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton (CINJ Hamilton), Somerset Medical Center, The University Hospital/UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School*, and University Medical Center at Princeton. *Academic Affiliate

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Cancer Institute of New Jersey Aims to Advance Personalized Cancer Treatments Through 'Precision Medicine'