ChondroGene Enters into Clinical Collaborations with Two Malaysian Hospitals
TORONTO, CANADA (June 10, 2005): ChondroGene™ Limited (TSX Venture: CDG) announced today that it has entered into clinical collaborations with Lam Wah EE Hospital and Island Hospital, two leading hospitals in Penang, Malaysia.
"These are two of the most prestigious hospitals in Malaysia and South East Asia," stated Malaysian-born Dr. C.C. Liew, Chief Scientific Officer of ChondroGene. "Malaysia has extremely modern healthcare facilities staffed with many North American and European trained physicians and researchers. Initially, these hospitals will be a key source of genetically diverse clinical samples in a variety of disease areas. Eventually, they will offer their patients ChondroGene's molecular diagnostic tests and services based on the Sentinel Principle™."
The hospitals will begin collecting blood samples from consenting patients in disease areas that coincide with ChondroGene's primary areas of interests: Cancer, cardiovascular disease, central nervous system disorders and arthritis. The information from these samples will provide additional data useful in identifying blood-based biomarkers for specific diseases. The data will also be added to ChondroGene's growing database of gene expression profiles which currently contains profiles from several thousand people possessing a wide range of disease conditions, as well as from normal patients. The hospitals have also agreed to offer ChondroGene's molecular tests to their patients, as these tests become available.
"We are pleased to be working with these two key hospitals in the region," stated K. Wayne Marshall, President and CEO of ChondroGene. "We expect to enter into similar relationships with other organizations around the world in the future in order to further expand the genetic diversity of our gene expression database as we move towards developing commercial products."
About Island Hospital
Island Hospital is a 250 bed private medical centre providing tertiary care in Penang and the Northern Region of Malaysia for inpatients and outpatients. It offers a wide range of medical, surgical and emergency services 24 hours a day. In addition to modern technology and excellent facilities, Island Hospital is also known for its warmth, friendliness and compassion. For further information, go to www.islandhospital.com.
About Lam Wah Ee Hospital
Lam Wah EE Hospital is one of the best hospitals in Malaysia for its commitment a charitable concept of health care, in addition to being among the best equipped hospitals with the latest state of the art equipment and facilities for the treatment of the wide range of illnesses and staffed by dedicated specialist doctors. Situated in Penang, the hospital is currently undergoing expansion with the construction of a new modern facility. For further information, go to www.hlwe.com.my.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.
This press release contains forward-looking statements, which reflect the Company's current expectations regarding future events. The forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Actual events could differ materially from those projected herein. Investors should consult the Company's ongoing quarterly filings and annual reports for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to these forward-looking statements. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.