DioGenix Discovers Gene Sets Which Correlate to Multiple Sclerosis
09 Junho 2008 - 1:23PM
Business Wire
Ore Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:ORXED) announced today that
DioGenix, its molecular diagnostics subsidiary, has identified
novel sets of genes that it believes will form the basis of a new
assay to diagnose multiple sclerosis (MS), a disease of the central
nervous system (CNS). DioGenix plans to refine these gene sets and
further confirm their disease association before it begins to
develop an effective commercial assay for diagnosing patients
presenting with early symptoms of MS. The Company is seeking
strategic alternatives to fund DioGenix�s product development
efforts. To discover these correlative gene sets, DioGenix
scientists compared gene expression profiles from a genome-wide
analysis of whole blood samples from MS patients, patients with
alternative diseases which mimic MS and samples collected from
normal donors. The scientists found statistically significant
differences in gene expression between the groups, resulting in a
novel gene set now covered by the Company�s recent international
patent filing. This work confirmed the results of an earlier
DioGenix study, based on peripheral blood mononuclear cells,
announced in an October 2007 press release. �This most recent study
continues to provide encouraging evidence that we are on the right
path to develop a clinically relevant diagnostic for MS,� said
Larry Tiffany, Chief Executive of DioGenix. �A blood-based test
that can diagnose MS would improve the quality of care for patients
who currently must endure a lengthy, costly and invasive medical
work-up, even in those cases where MS cannot be definitively
diagnosed. This is the first phase of our MS program, as we build
on our knowledgebase of MS disease biology and work to find markers
that can monitor disease activity, identify sub-types of MS, and
assess therapeutic activity.� MS is a chronic inflammatory disease
that selectively destroys the myelin sheaths of neurons within the
CNS, leading to loss of neurological function with unpredictable
course and severity. In the United States alone, the disease
affects approximately 400,000 persons and up to 25,000 new cases
are diagnosed each year. Susceptibility to MS is determined by
genetic and environmental factors that are not well understood.
Current methods of diagnosis require a battery of expensive and, in
many cases, invasive tests -- including lumbar puncture to access
cerebral spinal fluid -- that often do not result in an accurate
diagnosis. About DioGenix DioGenix, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary
of Ore Pharmaceuticals, is a molecular diagnostics enterprise
focused on the development and commercialization of novel
non-invasive diagnostic, prognostic and treatment response
monitoring tests. DioGenix was formed to leverage the significant
capital and human resources invested by Gene Logic in the
development of a unique set of assets and capabilities. For the
past ten years, the DioGenix management team has been working with
the world�s largest pharmaceutical companies to identify and
exploit biomarkers that correlate with disease activity and
therapeutic response, primarily utilizing the tools that are now
core assets of DioGenix. Over this period, these assets and the
well-established methods for their use have been optimized to a
performance level and quality required for diagnostic, as well as
pharmaceutical, development. The DioGenix team�s efforts have led
to identification of a number of opportunities with significant
market appeal that could be developed on an accelerated schedule.
DioGenix�s lead program is designed, for the first time, to provide
neurologists with a comprehensive set of clinical tests to diagnose
early-stage MS, segment MS patients into clinical sub-types and
predict response to treatment, all using non-invasive blood tests.
Over time, DioGenix plans to utilize its unique assets and
capabilities to develop additional tests for indications of
significant clinical relevance.
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