Press Releases

For Immediate Release
April 14, 2007

Orion Genomics Announces the Discovery and Validation of Biomarkers for Lung and Ovarian Cancer; Presents Results at the 2007 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in Los Angeles, California

ST. LOUIS, MO - April 14, 2007 - Orion Genomics announced today the discovery and validation of new biomarkers specific to ovarian and lung cancer at the AACR Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, California held on April 14-18, 2007. The biomarkers were discovered in studies that identified differences in genome-wide DNA methylation profiles of 20 tumor and 20 normal specimens generated with MethylScope technology, a patented genome-wide microarray technology. Subsequent analysis demonstrated that the biomarkers powerfully stratified a second independent tumor and normal tissue panel.

"An estimated 213,000 people will be diagnosed with lung cancer and another 22,500 will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the US in 2007," said Nathan Lakey, President and Chief Executive Officer of Orion Genomics. "Both diseases are typically diagnosed in an advanced stage resulting in poor survival rates among patients. Orion is developing molecular diagnostic tests to detect early stage cancer to improve patient survival. We are making strong progress with our recent validation of the most powerful set of epigenetic biomarkers discovered to date in lung and ovarian cancer."

Proprietary assays measuring 49 biomarkers demonstrated a sensitivity and specificity of greater than 80% in the lung cancer validation panel, and assays targeting 48 biomarkers exceeded 80% sensitivity and specificity in the ovarian cancer validation panel. Orion's lead lung cancer biomarker was tested in a tissue panel with 50 patient samples, and has a sensitivity of 86% (correctly identifying 24/28 tumor samples) and a specificity of 100% (correctly identified 22 of 22 normal samples). The lead ovarian cancer biomarker was tested in a tissue panel with 52 patient samples, and has a sensitivity of 100% (correctly identifying 25 of 25 tumor samples) and a specificity of 100% (correctly identifying 27 of 27 normal samples).

Orion's newly validated biomarkers are being evaluated in other tumor types and incorporated into the company's diagnostic assays for the early detection of lung and ovarian cancer.

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