EUROPROTEOME Files Patent for Novel Stomach Cancer Markers

14-Aug-2002
Berlin-based biotech company Europroteome today announced that it has filed a patent on several disease-specific markers for stomach cancer. The protein markers have been identified by leveraging EUROPROTEOME’s multidimensional system biology technology infrastructure (e.g. proteomics, transcriptomics, bioinformatics) and using purified human tissue samples from the company’s extensive human tissue sample bank. After applying a rigid multiparameter selection process the markers were selected from a list of several hundred differentially expressed candidates in stomach cancer. EUROPROTEOME expects to file similar patents relating to other other cancers (e.g. colon, pancreas) within the next months. None of these markers have been reported before to be stomach-cancer-associated providing a significant and proprietary business opportunity to EUROPROTEOME. At the same time, EUROPROTEOME also found already known cancer markers which are used as an internal control for the validity of the company’s R&D approach. Interestingly many of the novel cancer markers are likely to be drug candidates (e.g. enzymes) making them ideal candidates for therapeutic product developments which EUROPROTEOME will pursue through arrangements with industry partners. Christian Knobloch, M.D., EUROPROTEOME’s VP business development, commented on this important milestone: “Each year, over 260,000 patients develop stomach cancer worldwide, and only one in five patients is still alive five years later, making stomach cancer one of the most serious medical problems today. We are now able to open a new chapter in our fight against cancer. I am very excited on the current development of EUROPROTEOME’s R&D output. The identification of the novel stomach markers is an important proof of concept for our research strategy and provides a solid basis for further product developments through partnership arrangements.”

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