GeneNews reports positive results from validation study of colorectal cancer biomarkers in late-breaking abstra...( - Biomarkers form basis of blo...)

- Biomarkers form basis of blood-based ColonSentry(TM) test -

TORONTO, April 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - GeneNews Limited (TSX: GEN), a company focused on developing blood-based biomarker tests for the early detection of diseases and personalized health management, today reported positive performance results from a large validation study of a six-gene biomarker panel for the assessment of a patient's current risk for colorectal cancer. This panel forms the basis of the Company's lead product, ColonSentry(TM), which is planned for launch in Canada in the third quarter of 2008 as a laboratory-developed test.

The validation study confirmed (p less than 0.05) that the panel was able to stratify a population with average risk for colorectal cancer into three groups:
- Increased Probability: 18% of the population were defined as having a

3-fold increased probability of currently having colorectal cancer.

- Average Probability: 20% were defined as having an average probability

of currently having colorectal cancer.

- Decreased Probability: 62% were defined as having a 4-fold decreased

probability of currently having colorectal cancer.

"There is a need for a patient friendly test that can assess an individual's current risk for colorectal cancer, thereby enabling average risk patients to be stratified into more defined groups. This stratification would facilitate shared decision-making by physicians and their patients around screening options," commented Dr. Bernard Levin, an internationally recognized expert in colorectal cancer screening. "Although colorectal cancer can often be cured if detected early by screening, the majority of individuals do not comply willingly with screening recommendations because they find the screening methods such as stool tests or invasive endoscopic or radiologic procedures to be unpleasant or inconvenient. A blood test is more familiar and based on risk strati
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