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Immunicon Corporation Announces Independent Studies to Be Presented at 2007 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium That Confirm Utility of the CellSearch(TM) Circulating Tumor Cell Kit

Posted on: Tuesday, 11 December 2007, 09:00 CST

Immunicon Corporation (NASDAQ-CM:IMMC) announced today that three independent studies featuring Immunicon's CellTracks® technology and the CellSearch™ Circulating Tumor Cell Kit will be presented at the 30th Annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS). The meeting is the premier educational and scientific event in breast oncology and will take place December 13-16 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, San Antonio, Texas. Research conducted at MD Anderson, the University of Michigan, and the Lombardi Cancer Center at Georgetown University and others will be discussed at a Thursday December 13th afternoon session dedicated solely to circulating tumor cell research in breast cancer.

Dr. Massimo Cristofanilli, Co-Director of the first Inflammatory Breast Cancer Clinic at MD Anderson, is senior author on the abstract describing a large retrospective study involving 312 breast cancer patients evaluated between 2001 and 2007. The study confirms that CTCs are a strong independent predictor of survival in metastatic breast cancer and provides evidence supporting the use of CTCs as a new stratification method in patients with newly diagnosed Stage IV disease. The CellSearch™ test is currently FDA-cleared for monitoring patients with metastatic breast cancer or metastatic colorectal cancer.

Dr. Minetta Liu will present data indicating that the odds of disease progression are nearly five times higher for MBC patients with elevated CTC levels, based on a preliminary analysis of a study from the Lombardi Cancer Center at Georgetown University Medical Center. The authors propose that CTC measurement may therefore be particularly helpful in determining whether treatment is working in MBC patients in whom the disease cannot be accurately measured by conventional radiological methods. This group of patients represents approximately 40% of those currently being treated for MBC.

Results from a University of Michigan study will be presented showing for the first time that CellTracks® technology can be used to serially measure CTC in animals, indicating that the assay may be used in both the animal pre-clinical and human clinical phases of drug development.

Following the conference, the Immunicon presentations will be posted on Immunicon's Web site at http://www.immunicon.com. The CellSearch™ System includes instruments and assays that identify, enumerate and characterize CTCs from a blood test, was developed by Immunicon and is marketed by Veridex, LLC, a Johnson & Johnson Company, and will be on display at the Veridex booth # 7155 during the meeting. For more about the 2007 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium Annual Meeting, visit http://www.sabcs.org/.

Abstracts will include:

Thursday, December 13th 5:00 -- 7:00 PM

Abstract No: 111

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and prognostic stratification in metastatic breast cancer (MBC): need for a modification of the AJCC staging system?

Authors:Dawood S, Broglio K, Reuben J, Handy B, Han X, Ginsberg C, Remus L, Sun X, Islam R, Kau SW, Fritsche H, Valero V, Ueno N, Hortobagyi GN, Cristofanilli M. MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Abstract No: 104

Circulating tumor cells as a reliable assessment of treatment efficacy in metastatic breast cancer.

Authors:Liu MC, Shields P, Isaacs CJD, Warren R, Cohen P, Wilkinson M, Ottaviano Y, Zhang Y, Shen R, Jasti M, Gallagher A. Lombardi Cancer Center, Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC; Franklin Square Hospital, Baltimore, MD

Abstract No: 101

Serial detection and characterization of circulating tumor cells in an animal model.

Authors:Eliane JP, Luker KE, Brown M, Repollet M, Doyle GV, Hayes DF, Luker GD. University of Michigan Medical School; Immunicon Corporation, Huntingdon Valley, PA

About Immunicon Corporation

Immunicon Corporation is developing and commercializing proprietary cell- and molecular-based human diagnostic and life science research products, and is providing certain analytical services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to assist them in developing new therapeutic agents, with an initial focus on cancer disease management. Immunicon has developed platform technologies to identify, count and characterize a small number of rare cells in blood, such as circulating tumor cells and circulating endothelial cells that are important in many diseases and biological processes. Immunicon's products and underlying technology platforms also have application in cancer research and may have applications in other fields of medicine, such as cardiovascular and infectious diseases. For more information, please visit www.immunicon.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are often preceded by words such as "hope,""may,""believe,""anticipate,""plan,""expect,""intend,""assume,""will" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, among others, statements regarding the anticipated clinical utility of Immunicon's products and other statements not of historical fact. Immunicon cautions investors not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release, are based on the current expectations and intent of the management of Immunicon and involve certain factors, such as risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to be far different from those suggested by these statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict, including, but not limited to, risks and uncertainties associated with: Immunicon's dependence on Veridex, LLC, a Johnson & Johnson company, in the field of cancer cell analysis; the ability to earn license and milestone payments under Immunicon's agreement with Veridex; Immunicon's capital and financing needs; research and development and clinical trial expenditures; commercialization of product candidates; Immunicon's ability to obtain licenses from third parties to commercialize products; Immunicon's ability to manage its growth; obtaining necessary regulatory approvals; reliance on third party manufacturers and suppliers; reimbursement by third party payors to Immunicon's customers; compliance with applicable manufacturing standards; retaining key personnel; delays in the development of new products or planned improvements to products; effectiveness of products compared to competitors' products; protection of Immunicon's intellectual property; conflicts with third party intellectual property; product liability lawsuits that may be brought against Immunicon; labor, contract or technical difficulties; and competitive pressures in Immunicon's industry. These factors are discussed in more detail in Immunicon's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, Immunicon accepts no responsibility for updating the information contained in this press release beyond the published date, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, or for modifications made to this document by Internet or wire services.

"Immunicon" and the Immunicon Corporation logo are registered trademarks of Immunicon Corporation. "CellSearch" is a trademark of Johnson & Johnson. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Source: Business Wire

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