Promising Results of Colorectal Cancer Screening Program from OncoMethylome Sciences

OncoMethylome Sciences (Euronext Brussels: ONCOB; Euronext Amsterdam: ONCOA), a leading molecular diagnostics company, presented an update on its blood-based colorectal screening test and promising preliminary results of the performance of its proprietary DNA methylation biomarker in combination with stool-based testing at the Annual Digestive Disease Week (DDW) Conference. The presentation was part of an overview of the company's colorectal cancer screening program given at the World Organization of Digestive Endoscopy (OMED) Colorectal Cancer Screening Committee Meeting, which is being held as part of DDW.  DDW is the world's largest annual gathering of physicians and researchers in the fields of endoscopy, gastroenterology, hepatology and gastrointestinal surgery.
 
"The combination of a DNA methylation biomarker with a commercially available fecal immunochemical test is showing excellent potential as a non-invasive and accurate screening test for colorectal cancer. In our study, the sensitivity and specificity of the combined test are both over 90% while also detecting a high percentage of early stage cancers" said Prof. Gerrit Meijer, from the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam (VUMC), whose team conducted the latest case-control study using stool samples.
 
Dr. Jan Groen, Chief Executive Officer of OncoMethylome, said, "Our most recent case-control study in blood samples confirmed earlier results presented in September 2009 and we are delighted with the promising preliminary results in stool samples reported by the group at VUMC that constitute an independent validation of the clinical relevance of our proprietary methylation biomarker in colon cancer screening."

About OncoMethylome Sciences
OncoMethylome Sciences is a leading molecular diagnostics company that commercializes and develops cancer-screening tests to assist physicians in detecting and treating cancer early. The company's tests are based on proprietary gene methylation technology invented at Johns Hopkins University and are designed to help the physician accurately detect early stages of cancer development, predict a patient's response to drug therapy, and predict the likelihood of cancer recurrence. OncoMethylome Sciences collaborates with leading cancer research centers, such as Johns Hopkins, in Baltimore, MD, and has a number of commercial and collaborative partnerships with LabCorp, Schering-Plough, GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, Millipore Corporation's BioScience Division, Merck KGaA and Qiagen.

For more information:
Dr. Jan Groen
President & CEO
+32 4.364.20.70 office
IR@oncomethylome.com

Events calendar