LabCorp presents positive results on GST-Pi/APC methylation test for detection of prostate cancer

LabCorp presents positive results on GST-Pi/APC methylation test for detection of prostate cancer
OncoMethylome’s methylation technology for improving the detection of prostate cancer was validated in a study presented by LabCorp.

Liege (Belgium) - OncoMethylome Sciences (Euronext Brussels: ONCOB, Euronext Amsterdam: ONCOA) announced today that Laboratory Corporation of America® Holdings (LabCorp®) presented results of LabCorp’s GST-Pi/APC methylation assay for the detection of prostate cancer at the Annual Meeting for Molecular Markers in Cancer sponsored by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC). OncoMethylome licensed the prostate cancer applications to Veridex LLC, a Johnson & Johnson company, who subsequently issued a sublicense to LabCorp.

Dr. Steven Anderson, Senior Laboratory Director, Center for Molecular Biology and Pathology, and Sr. Vice President of LabCorp presented the GST-Pi and APC methylation results from more than 400 core biopsies representing a spectrum of histopathology findings ranging from benign tissues to prostate cancers. Confirming results of studies reported in peer-review journals, the assay demonstrated a sensitivity of 90.3% and specificity of 88.6% for the detection of prostate cancer. In many cases benign tissues showed the same methylation pattern as the adjacent lesion. The ability to detect similar methylation patterns in adjacent benign tissues supports the potential use of gene methylation as an adjunct to histopathology to improve the identification of prostate disease and help overcome sampling error issues associated with prostate biopsies.

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About Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men with 500,000 cases diagnosed per year in the US and Europe, and it is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States and Europe. The diagnosis of prostate cancer is made by histopathology of prostate tissue removed during biopsy, a procedure done on over two million men per year in the US and Europe. In the US, only one in four prostate biopsies is positive for prostate cancer but, due to the reportedly high false negative rate of biopsy results, repeat biopsies are commonly performed in men with elevated PSAs. Studies have shown that methylation of the GST-Pi and APC genes occurs at a high frequency in prostate cancer samples and, as such, can complement histopathology for detection of prostate cancer.

About Methylation and Methylation Markers
Methylation is a natural control mechanism that regulates gene expression in DNA. Abnormal methylation of certain genes, such as tumor suppressor genes, can silence gene expression and is associated with cancer development. Genes, whose methylation is linked to cancer, are called methylation markers. OncoMethylome owns proprietary technology that is highly sensitive and capable of detecting methylation markers, and thereby cancer, even in early stages of cancer development. In the case of prostate cancer, this technology identifies methylation of genes, or methylation markers, that have been shown to be associated with prostate cancer.

About OncoMethylome Sciences
OncoMethylome Sciences (Euronext Brussels: ONCOB; Euronext Amsterdam: ONCOA) is a molecular diagnostics company developing gene methylation tests to assist physicians in effectively detecting and treating cancer. Specifically, the company’s tests are designed to help the physician (i) accurately detect cancer in early stages of cancer development, (ii) predict a patient’s response to drug therapy, and (iii) predict the likelihood of cancer recurrence.

OncoMethylome boasts a broad product development pipeline consisting of ten products and a solid partnering record. The company collaborates with leading international molecular oncology research centers, such as The Johns Hopkins University, and has a number of commercial and collaborative partnerships with Veridex LLC, a Johnson & Johnson company, LabCorp, Schering-Plough Corp., GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, Abbott, Merck KGaA, Millipore Corporation’s BioScience Division, and EXACT Sciences Corp. OncoMethylome’s products are based on methylation technology invented by Johns Hopkins University (USA).

Established in January 2003, OncoMethylome has offices in Liege and Leuven (Belgium), in Durham, NC (USA), and in Amsterdam (the Netherlands).