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Xenomics Scientists Detect Tuberculosis DNA Using Proprietary Trans-Renal DNA Testing Technology

Posted on: Thursday, 17 March 2005, 18:00 CST

Xenomics, Inc. (OTCBB:XNOM), a developer of next-generation medical DNA technologies, has announced clinical results that demonstrate for the first time the ability to detect tuberculosis Transrenal-DNA (Tr-DNA) in the urine of infected patients. This application of the Company's patented technology platform may enable development of more sensitive and accurate testing methods that require only a simple and safe urine specimen. Equally important, Xenomics scientists also reported the ability to use a single urine specimen to simultaneously detect both HIV and the common tuberculosis infections that occur opportunistically in immune-compromised AIDS patients. The discovery was made at the Company's joint venture with the National Institute for Infectious Diseases "Lazzaro Spallanzani" in Rome.

"Tests to diagnose tuberculosis (TB) already exist, but Xenomics' new Tr-DNA test provides a number of significant advantages, such as detection of both pulmonary and extra-pulmonary infections, ease of use and time to result," said Dr. Randy White, Xenomics CEO. "The Xenomics test can produce a result in a matter of hours compared to days for traditional microbiological methods."

The need for new, rapid methods for detecting the disease is being driven by a number of worldwide health concerns, including the emergence of multiple-drug resistant strains of TB, and the high coincidence of TB in HIV-positive AIDS patients. An estimated 40% of confirmed TB cases involve multiple-drug resistant strains.

According to Dr. L. David Tomei, head of Xenomics research team in Rome, "Tests based on Xenomics' Tr-DNA platform may help with detection and treatment of the new drug-resistant strains of TB. The Xenomics tests are capable of detecting and simultaneously determining the specific genetic characteristics of specific strains of bacillus. Such information could help doctors more effectively treat these new strains with newly-developed drugs."

With current diagnostic technologies, doctors must use a number of different testing platforms, using multiple clinical specimens, to determine the specific identity of a strain of TB. The Xenomics Tr-DNA platform could enable the creation of a single, common diagnostic technology platform that would greatly simplify and improve the diagnostic process for doctors.

Another important finding made by the Xenomics scientists involved the technology's ability to use a single urine sample to detect the DNA of both HIV and TB. Many cases of AIDS are accompanied by TB, due to the immune system deficiency of AIDS patients. Clinical studies have shown that accurate diagnosis and timely treatment of TB in AIDS patients can significantly improve patient health and survival rates.

Medical authorities estimate that approximately 2 billion people -- one-third of the world's population -- are infected with latent tuberculosis. Most do not become sick, but approximately ten percent can be expected to develop active TB within their lifetimes, millions of whom will die from the disease.

The research conducted at the Spallanzani Institute is based on the Company's patented Trans-renal DNA (Tr-DNA) technology. Xenomics' team of scientists, headed by Dr. Samuil Umansky, was the first to discover the existence of DNA that has passed through the kidneys and is excreted in the patient's urine. Because Xenomics' Tr-DNA test uses urine specimens instead of blood, as required for most existing tests, it is significantly safer and easier to collect; blood is potentially infectious and is widely considered to be a biological hazard to health care workers, whereas, urine is not.

About Xenomics, Inc.

Xenomics is a molecular diagnostic company that focuses on the development of DNA-based tests using trans-renal DNA (Tr-DNA). Xenomics' patented technology uses safe and simple urine collection and can be applied to a broad range of applications, including prenatal testing, tumor detection and monitoring, tissue transplantation, infectious disease detection, genetic testing for forensic identity determination, drug development, and research to counter bioterrorism. Scientists from Xenomics were the first to report that fragments of DNA from normal cell death cross the kidney barrier and can be detected in urine. The Company believes that its technology will open significant new markets in the molecular diagnostics field. Xenomics has three issued U.S. patents covering different applications of the technology for molecular diagnostics and genetic testing and a pending European patent for the same applications. The Company has organized a joint venture to conduct research on infectious disease detection with the National Institute for Infectious Diseases (Instituto Nazionale per le Malattie Infettive "Lazzaro Spallanzani") in Rome, in the form of a new R&D company called SpaXen Italia, S.R.L. For more information visit http://www.xenomics.com. For more investor-specific information, including daily and historical Company stock quote data and recent news releases, please visit http://www.trilogy-capital.com/tcp/xenomics. To read or download the Company's Investor Fact Sheet visit http://www.trilogy-capital.com/tcp/xenomics/factsheet.html. To view an online video about Xenomics technology and products, visit http://www.trilogy-capital.com/tcp/xenomics/video.html.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements made in this press release are forward looking. Such statements are indicated by words such as "expect,""might,""should,""anticipate" and similar words indicating uncertainty in facts and figures. Although Xenomics believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. As discussed in the periodic reports of Xenomics, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of the following factors, among others: uncertainties associated with product development, the risk that Xenomics will not obtain approval to market its products, the risk that Xenomics' technology will not gain market acceptance, the risks associated with dependence upon key personnel, and the need for additional financing.

Source: Business Wire

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