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EANS-News: Epigenomics AG Presents Clinical Data from Prostate Cancer Prognosis Study at ASCO

Biomarker mPITX2 for prostate cancer prognostic application 
successfully validated 
 First clinical laboratory in Germany to 
start offering mPITX2 testing service
  Corporate news transmitted by euro adhoc. The issuer/originator is solely
  responsible for the content of this announcement.
new product/research/Molecular diagnostics
Press release, Berlin, Germany and Seattle, WA, USA, May 29, 2009 
(euro adhoc) - Epigenomics AG (Frankfurt Prime Standard: ECX), a 
molecular diagnostics company focusing on the development and 
commercialization of products for cancer detection based on DNA 
methylation, will present clinical data from its study validating the
mPITX2 biomarker in a prognostic setting in prostate cancer at this 
year's ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncology) conference in 
Orlando, Florida, USA. The data will be presented by Esmeralda 
Heiden, M.D., Ph.D., Pathologist at Epigenomics, on May 31, 2009  in 
a poster presentation titled "PITX2 methylation and biochemical 
recurrence in postradical prostatectomy prostate cancer patients".
The mPITX2 biomarker is at the core of Epigenomics' prostate cancer 
prognosis test that indicates the risk of early disease recurrence 
following a surgical removal of the cancerous prostate. Epigenomics 
has successfully validated the biomarker using a fully developed test
system for this application.
"Assessing PITX2 methylation could provide a valuable means to better
define prostate cancer risk groups and thus aid in selection of 
patients for whom adjuvant and/or early salvage therapy may be 
warranted," commented Lionel Bañez, M.D., one of the clinical 
collaborators in the validation study. "Furthermore, PITX2 
methylation status could also be used in the rational design of 
clinical trials and improve testing of new therapeutic regimens." Dr.
Bañez is affiliated with the Division of Urologic Surgery and the 
Duke Prostate Center at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, 
North Carolina. Further clinical sites collaborating in this 
international multicenter study also included the Baylor College of 
Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA, the Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam,
The Netherlands, the VA Medical Center at Durham, North Carolina, 
USA, and the University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany.
The pathology laboratory of Prof. Dr. Arndt Hartmann at the 
University Hospital Erlangen in Germany is the first of a selected 
number of laboratories that Epigenomics has now enabled under its 
"Early Access Program" to offer mPITX2 testing services in Germany. 
Prof. Dr. Arndt Hartmann, Director of the Institute of Pathology at 
the University Hospital in Erlangen commented the study results and 
why his lab will start offering mPITX2 testing: "Technically, this 
has been a perfect study. For all but a single patient a valid PITX2 
measurement has been provided. The technology is mature and ready for
release."
2009 ASCO Annual Meeting Presentation Details
The poster titled "PITX2 methylation and biochemical recurrence in 
postradical prostatectomy prostate cancer patients" will be presented
by Esmeralda Heiden, MD, PhD, in the Session Genitourinary Cancer on 
May 31, 2009, 2 -6 pm on Level 2 in West Hall C at the 2009 ASCO 
Annual Meeting, May 29 to June 2, 2009, in Orlando FL, U.S.A.
About Epigenomics' Prostate Cancer Prognosis Test
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American and European 
men. With an annual incidence of approximately 470,000 cases in the 
US and Europe, one in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer 
in his lifetime and about 100,000 men will die from the disease every
year. Surgical removal of the prostate (radical prostatectomy) is 
performed as potentially curative treatment in about 40% of patients 
diagnosed with prostate cancer. Nevertheless, the disease recurs in 
about one in seven prostatectomy patients. However, the difficulty 
clinicians have is that even with the use of current prognostic 
parameters, there still remains considerable uncertainty concerning 
which patients will eventually relapse. Epigenomics is developing a 
prostate cancer prognosis test based on the DNA methylation biomarker
PITX2 (mPITX2) that may provide physicians and patients with 
prognostic information by identifying those prostatectomy patients at
increased risk for early disease recurrence. The demand among 
physicians for such a molecular diagnostic test is high, since it 
identifies patients with a poor prognosis that are possibly 
under-treated. Epigenomics is in the process of making mPITX2 
available at selected clinical centers in Europe within an "Early 
Access Program" for this biomarker. For broad commercialization, 
Epigenomics intends to partner the test with suitable players in the 
diagnostics industry.
About Epigenomics
Epigenomics is a molecular diagnostics company with a focus on the 
development of novel products for cancer. Using DNA methylation 
biomarkers, Epigenomics' tests in development aim at diagnosing 
cancer at an early stage before symptoms occur and thereby may reduce
mortality from this dreaded disease.
Epigenomics' product pipeline contains a validated biomarker for the 
early detection of colorectal cancer in blood plasma, and further 
proprietary DNA methylation biomarkers at various stages of 
development for prostate and lung cancer detection in urine, blood 
and bronchial lavage specimens. Epigenomics' biomarker mSEPT9 for the
early detection of colorectal cancer in a simple blood sample 
demonstrated continuously highest performance in multiple clinical 
studies with in total about 3,500 individuals tested. A large 
prospective clinical study - PRESEPT - for evaluation of mSEPT9 in a 
screening population is currently under way (www.presept.net).
For development and global commercialization of in vitro diagnostic 
test products, Epigenomics pursues a non-exclusive partnering 
strategy. Strategic diagnostics industry partners include Abbott 
Molecular, Philips, Sysmex Corporation and Quest Diagnostics 
Incorporated for diagnostics test products and services, and QIAGEN 
N.V. for sample preparation solutions and research products.
Partners in the health care industry and the biomedical research 
community can access Epigenomics' portfolio of proprietary DNA 
methylation technologies and biomarkers protected by more than 150 
patent families through research products, Biomarker Services, IVD 
Development Collaborations, and Licensing. The company is 
headquartered in Berlin, Germany, and has a wholly owned subsidiary 
in Seattle, WA, U.S.A. For more information, please visit 
Epigenomics' website at www.epigenomics.com.
Epigenomics legal disclaimers. This communication expressly or 
implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements concerning 
Epigenomics AG and its business. Such statements involve certain 
known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which could 
cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or 
achievements of Epigenomics AG to be materially different from any 
future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by 
such forward-looking statements. Epigenomics AG is providing this 
communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any 
forward- looking statements contained herein as a result of new 
information, future events or otherwise.
The information contained in this communication does not constitute 
nor imply an offer to sell or transfer any product, and no product 
based on this technology is currently available for sale in the 
United States. The analytical and clinical performance 
characteristics of any product based on this technology which may be 
sold at some future time in the U.S. have not been established.
end of announcement                               euro adhoc

Further inquiry note:

Epigenomics AG
Dr. Achim Plum
Sen. VP Corporate Development
Tel: +49 30 24345 368
achim.plum@epigenomics.com

Branche: Biotechnology
ISIN: DE000A0BVT96
WKN: A0BVT9
Index: Prime All Share, Technologie All Share
Börsen: Frankfurt / regulated dealing/prime standard
Berlin / free trade
Hamburg / free trade
Stuttgart / free trade
Düsseldorf / free trade
München / free trade

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