ChondroGene Enters into a Broad Alliance with UCSF
TORONTO, CANADA (August 10, 2005): ChondroGene™ Limited (TSX Venture: CDG) announced today that it has entered into an alliance with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). The alliance provides a framework for ChondroGene to enter into collaborations with UCSF scientific researchers and clinicians in applying the Sentinel Principle™ to new diagnostic and therapeutic uses in a range of diseases. The terms of the alliance will simplify and accelerate the execution of individual collaborations with specific investigators. In addition, the alliance framework details the intellectual property (IP) rights of new inventions stemming from any collaboration. ChondroGene will either own any IP solely or jointly, or in cases where the invention was solely developed by UCSF researchers, will have an option for an exclusive license.
UCSF is one of three University of California campuses associated with the California Institute of Quantitative Biomedical Research (QB3) whose mandate is to foster relationships between its affiliated institutions and industry partners in order to facilitate the transfer of science and research into products, techniques, and knowledge that can improve human health. Established in 2000, QB3 has been involved in facilitating a number of collaborations with industry. This is the first such relationship with a Canadian biotechnology company.
"This is exactly the type of arrangement that QB3 was established to facilitate. ChondroGene's Sentinel Principle is a powerful technology that can lead to better diagnostics and therapeutics resulting in improved healthcare," stated Dr. Regis Kelly, Executive Director of QB3. "This alliance between UCSF physicians and scientists and those of ChondroGene represents an exciting opportunity to realize QB3's fundamental mandate to improve human health."
"UCSF is widely recognized as an international leader in leading-edge biomedical research and the delivery of high quality clinical care. We are pleased to be working with UCSF investigators in applying the Sentinel Principle to critical areas of unmet clinical need," stated K. Wayne Marshall, President and CEO of ChondroGene. "We expect to initiate a number of clinical studies in cancer, cardiovascular diseases and central nervous system disorders this year and are looking forward to building a strong alliance with UCSF."
About the California Institute of Quantitative Biomedical Research
The California Institute for Quantitative Biomedical Research (QB3) is a cooperative effort among the University of California campuses at Berkeley, San Francisco, and Santa Cruz, private industry, that harnesses the quantitative sciences to integrate the understanding of biological systems at all levels of complexity - from atoms and protein molecules to cells, tissues, organs, and the entire organism. This long-sought integration allows scientists to attack problems that have been simply unapproachable before, setting the stage for fundamental new discoveries, new products and new technologies for the benefit of human health. For further information, go to www.qb3.org.
About UCSF
The University of California, San Francisco is the smallest, in size and number of students, of the 10 University of California campuses. But its relative size belies its distinction as one of the leading biomedical research and health science education centers in the world. UCSF, including its medical centers at Parnassus and Mount Zion, and its affiliated hospitals, San Francisco General Hospital Medical Center and the VA Medical Center, handle more than one million patient visits a year. For further information, go to www.qb3.org.About GeneNews
GeneNews is focused on the application of functional genomics to enable early diagnosis and personalized therapeutic intervention based on disease-specific biomarkers. The Company has developed a novel approach, the Sentinel Principle™, to detect and stage virtually any disease or medical condition from a simple blood sample. GeneNews is currently applying the Sentinel Principle™ in major areas with unmet clinical needs such as cancer, arthritis, cardiovascular disease and neurological disorders. GeneNews' first product, ColonSentry™, is a convenient and patient-friendly blood-based test that can assess an individual's current risk for colorectal cancer. For more information on GeneNews, visit www.genenews.com.
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