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Prometheus Awarded Patent Related to
Genetic Testing for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Patent Includes NOD2 Gene Mutations Associated with
Susceptibility to Crohn’s Disease
San Diego, October 20, 2009 – Prometheus Laboratories Inc., a
specialty pharmaceutical and diagnostic company, today announced
that it has been awarded U.S. Patent No. 7,592,437 by the U.S.
Patent and Trademark Office. The patent, entitled "Genes
Involved in Intestinal Inflammatory Diseases and Use Thereof,"
covers genes useful in the detection of inflammatory diseases,
including NOD2 (also known as CARD15) gene mutations which are
associated with susceptibility to Crohn’s disease .
"NOD2 gene mutations have been demonstrated to play an important
role in the development of Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory
condition of the digestive tract that can lead to a variety of
symptoms and often takes years to diagnose," said Henry Pan,
M.D., Ph.D., Chief Scientific and Medical Officer of Prometheus.
"This patent provides important protection for us as we continue
to develop innovative products to help physicians diagnose and
treat gastrointestinal diseases through individualized patient
care."
Prometheus has exclusive, worldwide rights to the methodology
for identifying NOD2 gene mutations under an agreement with
Fondation Jean Dausset – Centre d’Etude du Polymorphisme Humain
(CEPH).
About Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s disease is a chronic disorder that causes inflammation
of the digestive or gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms of the
disease include diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever and rectal
bleeding. Crohn’s disease is often expensive to treat because
many patients may require long-term medical care, including
multiple hospitalizations, surgeries and expensive therapeutics.
The condition can be difficult to manage clinically and consumes
a substantial amount of healthcare resources in terms of
physician time, procedures and medications. Crohn’s disease is
estimated to affect between 400,000 and 600,000 individuals in
North America.
About Prometheus
Prometheus Laboratories Inc. is a specialty pharmaceutical and
diagnostic company committed to developing and commercializing
novel pharmaceutical and diagnostic products to help physicians
individualize patient care. Prometheus is a leader in applying
the principles of personalized medicine to the diagnosis and
treatment of gastrointestinal diseases and is applying these
principles to oncology. Its strategy includes the marketing and
delivery of pharmaceutical products complemented by proprietary
diagnostic testing services. By integrating pharmaceutical
products and diagnostic testing services, Prometheus believes it
can address the full continuum of care, thereby providing
physicians with a comprehensive solution to treat chronic
diseases. Prometheus’ corporate offices are located in San
Diego.
Contact
Pete De Spain
Director, Investor Relations
& Corporate Communications
Prometheus Laboratories Inc.
(858) 587-4117
pdespain @prometheuslabs.com
Hugot, JP et al. Association of NOD2 leucine-rich repeat
variants with susceptibility to Crohn’s disease. Nature. 2001
May 31;411(6837):599-603.
Loftus, EV et al. The epidemiology and natural history of
Crohn’s disease in population-based patient cohorts from North
America: a systematic review. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2002
Jan;16(1):51-60. |