GeneNews - Press Release feed

GeneNews Extends Term of Certain Warrants

jying — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 09:11:45 -0600

Date: Fri, 2011-12-23 07:00

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GeneNews Limited (TSX: GEN) today announced an extension to the term of certain share purchase warrants (the "Warrants"). The Warrants were issued by GeneNews on January 16, 2009 and February 11, 2009 and each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one common share of GeneNews at an exercise price of $0.25 per common share. There are a total of 1,000,000 warrants set to expire on January 16, 2012 and 1,978,065 warrants set to expire on February 11, 2012. The term of the Warrants has been extended to July 31, 2012. All other provisions of the Warrants remain the same. No Warrants are held by insiders of GeneNews. The effective date of the extension to the term of the Warrants will be 10 business days after the date of this press release.

About GeneNews

GeneNews is an emerging molecular diagnostics company focused on the application of functional genomics to enable early diagnosis and personalized health management based on disease-specific biomarkers. The Company has a patented core platform technology, the Sentinel Principle®, which has the power 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' lead product, ColonSentry™, is the world's first blood test to pre-screen and assess an individual's current risk for colorectal cancer. For more information on GeneNews and ColonSentry™, go to www.GeneNews.com or www.ColonSentry.com.

GeneNews' Sentinel Principle® Used to Discover New Blood Based Biomarkers for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

jying — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 08:26:59 -0600

Date: Thu, 2011-11-10 06:00

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GeneNews Limited (TSX:GEN), a company focused on developing blood-based biomarker tests for the early detection of diseases and personalized health management, announced that a presentation entitled "Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Biomarkers derived using Peripheral Blood Transcriptome" was given today at the 2011 Asia Pacific Cancer Conference, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma ("NPC") is a common cancer in certain parts of Northern Africa and Southern China. The presentation reported on the application of GeneNews' proprietary Sentinel Principle® platform technology to 278 peripheral whole blood samples collected from NPC patients, non-NPC cancer patients and unaffected controls. The study reported the identification of blood-based biomarkers that distinguished NPC patients from controls and from patients with other cancers with high accuracy.

"Of the genes coding for this signature, the top five performers are known to be involved in carcinoma of the head and neck, tumor-associated antigens, and/or genes involved in cellular signaling. This investigation is the first to use whole blood from NPC patients to analyze genome-wide expression patterns. In addition to distinguishing NPC patients from non-NPC patients, we were able to identify blood-based biomarkers that may be able to predict which patients are more likely to respond to treatment. These findings, therefore, have significant clinical implications with respect to optimizing therapy for NPC patients," commented principal investigator and lead author, Dato' Dr. Adel Zaatar, Senior Consultant Radiotherapist & Oncologist, Mount Miriam Cancer Hospital, Penang, Malaysia.

"As demonstrated by this study, the applications of our proprietary platform technology, the Sentinel Principle®, continue to expand rapidly," said Gailina J. Liew, President and Chief Operating Officer of GeneNews.

The Sentinel Principle®, a platform technology discovered and developed by GeneNews, is based on the concept that all clinical conditions and body states, including those resulting from disease or in response to treatment, generate characteristic gene expression signatures in the blood as a result of the constant and dynamic physiological interaction of blood with the cells, tissues and organs of the human body. This technology is the basis of GeneNews' initial product, ColonSentry™, the world's first blood test for colorectal cancer, and the SentinelGx™ suite of services. GeneNews' broad global patent portfolio includes issued foundational patents and pending patents in diverse disease areas such as cancer, cardiovascular, neurological and inflammatory conditions.

About GeneNews

GeneNews Diagnostics Launches ColonSentry in Malaysia

jying — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 08:20:45 -0600

Date: Wed, 2011-11-09 06:00

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GeneNews Limited (TSX:GEN), a molecular diagnostics company focused on developing blood-based biomarker tests for the early detection of diseases and personalized health management, today announced the commercial launch of ColonSentry™, the world's first blood-based test to determine a person's current risk for colorectal cancer, in Malaysia through GeneNews Diagnostics Sdn. Bhd. The formal launch ceremony was officiated by Y'B Senator Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon, a Minister in the Malaysian Prime Minister's Department.

"We are excited that GeneNews Diagnostics will now be able to provide the Malaysian population with access to this potentially life-saving colorectal cancer pre-screening tool. We also believe that commercial success in Malaysia, a key country in the Southeast Asian market, will help facilitate the commercial expansion of the ColonSentry test throughout this part of the world", said Gailina J. Liew, President and Chief Operating Officer of GeneNews.

About GeneNews Diagnostics Sdn. Bhd.

GeneNews Diagnostics is a privately-held Malaysian company that will work with GeneNews Limited to commercialize ColonSentry in Malaysia and Southeast Asia. GeneNews Diagnostics was granted BioNexus Status by the Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation Sdn. Bhd. in December 2009 and is the recipient of a seed capital grant for commercialization purposes.

About GeneNews

GeneNews is an emerging molecular diagnostics company focused on the application of functional genomics to enable early diagnosis and personalized health management based on disease-specific biomarkers. The Company has a patented core platform technology, the Sentinel Principle®, which has the power to detect and stage virtually any disease or medical condition from a simple blood sample. GeneNews' lead product, ColonSentry, is the world's first blood test for colorectal cancer. For more information on GeneNews and ColonSentry™, visit www.genenews.com or www.ColonSentry.com.

GeneNews Shareholders Approve Proposed Share Consolidation

jying — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 13:37:55 -0500

Date: Mon, 2011-10-31 06:00

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GeneNews Limited (TSX:GEN), a molecular diagnostics company focused on developing blood-based biomarker tests for the early detection of diseases and personalized health management, announced that approval was obtained for a proposed consolidation of the Company's issued and outstanding shares on the basis of one (1) post-consolidation common share for every six (6) pre-consolidation common shares at a special meeting of its shareholders held earlier today.

The timing for implementation of the consolidation will be determined by the Company's Board of Directors based upon its evaluation as to when such action would be most advantageous to the Company and its shareholders, but no later than January 31, 2012.

"We believe that this proposed share consolidation will provide shareholders with the potential for a more attractive share price, reduced shareholder transaction costs and improved trading liquidity as our partners prepare to launch ColonSentry in their respective markets," said Gailina J. Liew, President and Chief Operating Officer of GeneNews.

About GeneNews

GeneNews Announces SentinelGx™ Pharmacogenomic and Companion Diagnostic BloodRNA™ Service

jying — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 07:41:44 -0500

Secondary Title: Karl Wassmann Joins Management Team as EVP, US Corporate Development

Date: Fri, 2011-10-28 00:00

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GeneNews Limited (TSX: GEN), a molecular diagnostics company focused on developing blood-based biomarker tests for the early detection of diseases and personalized health management, today announced the launch of SentinelGx™, a suite of pharmacogenomic and companion diagnostic BloodRNA™ services for drug development and personalized health management applications (“SentinelGx”). The SentinelGx services provide complete whole blood transcriptome analysis for RNA expression profiling of inflammatory pathways, immune system response and cell signaling based on the Company’s patented Sentinel Principle® technology. A catalog of over 2,200 TaqMan® BloodRNA™ Profiles is now available including pathway-specific, disease-specific and drug-specific gene signature panels clinically proven to express in whole blood. The disease-specific panels include gene signatures for numerous types of cancer, autoimmune, cardiovascular, infectious and neurological diseases. In connection with the SentinelGx launch, GeneNews also announced the appointment of Karl Wassmann to the newly created position of Executive Vice President, US Corporate Development to manage the SentinelGx services.

SentinelGx features a wide menu of core laboratory services including RNA isolation, RNA quality control, bio-banking, real-time qPCR gene expression validation with TaqMan® and SYBR® Green chemistries and a full range of Affymetrix® gene expression profiling services including 3’ IVT, Whole-Transcript and SNP Expression Analysis. Pharmacogenomic services include biomarker discovery, pharmacodynamics markers for optimal dosage, drug response for patient stratification, disease prognosis for enrichment of trials and surrogate markers, prediction of adverse effects and integration of DNA and RNA profiling for targeted therapies. A full range of collaborative companion diagnostics services includes biomarker development, assay design and analytical validation, clinical validation, and data analysis based on the Company’s unique Sentinel Pair™ regression analysis and methods.

Mr. Wassmann brings more than three decades of senior financial, business development, operations and general management experience to GeneNews. Most recently, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Source MDx, a privately-held U.S. company focused on the development of whole blood and rare cell-based inflammation and oncology biomarkers for laboratory developed tests and companion diagnostics. Over the past six years, he led more than 30 biomarker and companion diagnostic prospective clinical development programs totaling over 7,000 patients in collaboration with leading pharmaceutical companies and major academic medical centers. He is a co-inventor on over 65 molecular diagnostic and companion diagnostic patents and pending patent applications for oncology and autoimmune diseases. A Chartered Financial Analyst, Mr. Wassmann is a graduate of Bowdoin College and holds an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.

“We are pleased to welcome an executive of Karl Wassmann’s experience to this key position", said Gailina J. Liew, President and Chief Operating Officer of GeneNews. “The SentinelGx business will increase the scope of our commercial activities and highlight the advantages of using our blood-based Sentinel Principle platform technology for pharmacogenomic and companion diagnostic applications to support and accelerate drug development efforts”.

About GeneNews

GeneNews is an emerging molecular diagnostics company focused on the application of functional genomics to enable early diagnosis and personalized health management based on disease-specific biomarkers. The Company has a patented core platform technology, the Sentinel Principle®, which has the power to detect and stage virtually any disease or medical condition from a simple blood sample. GeneNews' lead product, ColonSentry, is the world's first blood test for colorectal cancer. For more information on GeneNews and ColonSentry™, visit www.genenews.com or www.ColonSentry.com.

GeneNews Reports Third Quarter 2011 Financial Results

jying — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 17:41:16 -0500

Date: Thu, 2011-10-27 14:00

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GeneNews Limited (TSX:GEN), a company focused on developing blood-based biomarker tests for the early detection of diseases and personalized health management, today reported operational and financial results for the three-month and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2011.

For the three months ended September 30, 2011, the Company reported a net loss of $997,835, or $0.01 loss per common share, as compared to a net loss of $826,543, or $0.01 loss per common share for the three months ended September 30, 2010. This increase in loss of $171,292 is primarily due to the impact of the International Financial Reporting Standards classification of foreign exchange gains related to its Malaysian subsidiary.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2011, the Company reported a net loss of $3,232,249, or $0.04 loss per common share, as compared to a net loss of $3,587,713, or $0.05 loss per common share for the nine months ended September 30, 2010. This decline in loss of $355,464 is primarily due to the activities of the Company's Malaysian subsidiary for the liver and hepatitis program with the Malaysian Ministry of Health, which was initiated in the third quarter of 2010.

As at September 30, 2011, the Company's unrestricted cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments amounted to $3,021,571.

The Company's financial statements and management's discussion and analysis are available on www.sedar.com.

About GeneNews

GeneNews is an emerging molecular diagnostics company focused on the application of functional genomics to enable early diagnosis and personalized health management based on disease-specific biomarkers. The Company has a patented core platform technology, the Sentinel Principle®, which has the power to detect and stage virtually any disease or medical condition from a simple blood sample. GeneNews' lead product, ColonSentry, is the world's first blood test for colorectal cancer. For more information on GeneNews and ColonSentry™, visit www.genenews.com or www.ColonSentry.com.

GeneNews' Sentinel Principle® Used to Discover New Blood Based Biomarkers for Schizophrenia

jying — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 13:22:07 -0500

Date: Wed, 2011-10-12 05:00

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GeneNews Limited (TSX:GEN), a company focused on developing blood-based biomarker tests for the early detection of diseases and personalized health management, today announced the publication of study data using GeneNews' proprietary Sentinel Principle® platform technology to identify complex changes in blood gene expression patterns that may be indicative of underlying risk factors for schizophrenia.

This study data is reported in a paper entitled, "Similarities and Differences in Peripheral Blood Gene-Expression Signatures of Individuals With Schizophrenia and Their First-Degree Biological Relatives" that will be published in the American Journal of Medical Genetics Part B and is currently available online. "This study shows that we can identify a gene signature associated with schizophrenia distinct from non-schizophrenia. The study is an important step towards identifying biomarkers for the early detection of this brain disorder," said Dr. Ming Tsuang, principal investigator for the reported study, Behavioral Genomics Endowed Chair and Director of the University of California, San Diego's Center for Behavioral Genomics, and Director of the Harvard Institute of Psychiatric Epidemiology and Genetics, Harvard School of Public Health.

"Discovering this gene expression signature also demonstrates one of the many applications of our proprietary platform technology, the Sentinel Principle®, which has already been used to identify biomarkers associated with a variety of diseases and conditions, including colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, liver cancer, bladder cancer, cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis and Crohn's disease," said Gailina J. Liew, President and Chief Operating Officer of GeneNews.

The Sentinel Principle®, a platform technology discovered and developed by GeneNews, is based on the concept that all clinical conditions and body states, including those resulting from disease or in response to treatment, generate characteristic gene expression signatures in the blood as a result of the constant and dynamic physiological interaction of blood with the cells, tissues and organs of the human body. This technology is the basis of GeneNews' initial product, ColonSentry™, the world's first blood test for colorectal cancer. ColonSentry™ was launched in Canada in 2008 and is poised to enter the U.S. market in the second half of 2011 through GeneNews' partnership with Enzo Clinical Labs. GeneNews' broad global patent portfolio includes issued foundational patents and pending patents in diverse disease areas such as cancer, cardiovascular, neurological and inflammatory conditions.