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Clinical Data, Inc. Announces Collaborative Research Agreement With University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute for Metabolomics Analysis of Lung Cancer Samples

Posted on: Thursday, 12 January 2006, 09:00 CST

Clinical Data, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLDA), a worldwide leader in developing and commercializing pharmacogenomics and clinical diagnostics, announced today that it has entered into a collaborative research agreement with the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI). Under the agreement, Clinical Data, acting as the study sponsor, will apply metabolomics analysis to serum samples from a population of patients diagnosed with lung cancer and matched control subjects without lung cancer recruited as part of the National Cancer Institute (NCI)-funded Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in Lung Cancer at the UPCI. The serum samples will be provided to Clinical Data by the UPCI.

Metabolomics is the science of comprehensively measuring and analyzing large numbers of biochemicals produced by the human body. These metabolites represent the end products of gene and protein expression. Their qualitative and quantitative analyses generate a biochemical phenotype of an organism. Metabolomics also offers the unbiased ability to differentiate organisms or cell and disease states based on metabolite levels that may or may not produce visible phenotypes and/or genotypes.

Israel M. Stein, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Clinical Data, said, "This is an important collaboration for Clinical Data and could generate new insight into the applicable pharmacogenomics of a diverse patient population afflicted with lung cancer. In essence, this collaboration supports a pilot study to determine the suitability of metabolomics for cancer detection and screening. We anticipate that the data created by this study may demonstrate the robustness of our metabolomics platform to both research partners and potential customers. The field of metabolomics offers tremendous promise for patients and the drug industry alike. We know that Clinical Data possesses one of the most robust metabolomics platforms and analytical skill sets in this industry. We anticipate that the results of this analysis may yield a strong case for commercialization within the lung cancer application."

This collaboration will pursue what the Company believes is the first metabolomics study in a lung cancer population. The Company notes that any new intellectual property or inventions that are derived from this study will remain the property of the respective party that makes any new discovery with final ownership determined by applicable U.S. Patent Law.

William L. Bigbee, PhD, will be the lead investigator for the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Bigbee is a Professor in the Departments of Environmental & Occupational Health and Epidemiology in the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health and also is Leader of the Molecular Biomarkers Group and a Member of the Cancer Epidemiology, Head and Neck Cancer, and Lung and Thoracic Malignancies Programs at the UPCI. In addition, Dr. Bigbee serves as Director of the Clinical Proteomics Core Facility at UPCI and Associate Director for Basic Research of the UPCI Lung Cancer SPORE, Principal Investigator, Jill M. Siegfried, PhD, who is also a co-investigator in the study. For Clinical Data, the study sponsor, Thomas Colatsky, PhD, Icoria's Chief Scientific Officer, will be the lead investigator in the collaboration. Both parties retain the rights to publish the results and disseminate information pertaining to the research conducted under this collaboration agreement.

About Clinical Data, Inc.

Clinical Data, Inc. is a worldwide leader in developing and commercializing pharmacogenomics and clinical diagnostics to improve patient care. The Company's genomic services are marketed to the pharmaceutical, biotech, clinical, academic and agricultural marketplaces. The Company is utilizing pharmacogenomics to develop molecular diagnostics and more efficacious therapeutics by finding genetic markers to guide drug development and utilization. Its diagnostic and instrumentation business has a market focus on the physician's office, hospital and small-to-medium sized laboratory segments.

SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements that are intended to be covered by the safe harbor for forward looking statements provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. Words such as "expect(s)", "feel(s)", "believe(s)", "will", "may", "anticipate(s)" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding plans, objectives and expectations with respect to future operations, products, services, and scientific outcomes. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of the Company, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those discussed and identified by Clinical Data in public filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; the effect on the Company's operations and results of significant acquisitions or divestitures made by major competitors; and the Company's ability to achieve expected synergies and operating efficiencies in all of its acquisitions, and to successfully integrate its operations. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements that speak only as of the date hereof. Clinical Data does not undertake any obligation to republish revised forward looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Readers are also urged to carefully review and consider the various disclosures in Clinical Data's SEC reports including but not limited to its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2005, and 2004 and 2005 quarterly reports on Forms 10-QSB and 10-Q.

Source: Business Wire

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