Miraculins upbeat about prostate cancer biomaThings have got to heat up here!!!
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Miraculins upbeat about prostate cancer biomarker data
2007-03-19 10:15 ET - News Release
Ms. Sandra Benson reports
MIRACULINS ANNOUNCES POSITIVE RESULTS IN PIVOTAL PROSTATE CANCER BIOMARKER STUDY
Miraculins Inc. has released positive results from its continuing PCSC04 study.
PCSC04 is a prospective study of 200 preprostate biopsy patients initiated in November, 2006, with CMX Research Inc. The study was designed to test whether Miraculins's biomarker diagnostic would be able to reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies when used sequentially with the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test and best clinical care practices.
The company has completed examination of 130 of the 200 patients enrolled in the study. The data analyzed have shown that approximately 20 per cent of the biopsies for the patients who did not have prostate cancer could have been avoided with the use of Miraculins's test. In addition, the diagnostic identified 96 per cent of the patients who were true positives for prostate cancer and were required to proceed with a biopsy for further diagnosis.
The PSA test is the current screening standard for prostate cancer. Approximately 70 per cent of PSA tests performed in the United States result in false positive diagnoses, requiring these patients to undergo unnecessary prostate biopsies. Many of these biopsies could be avoided with a more accurate diagnostic tool.
"The initial results of our study are positive and significant," stated Christopher Moreau, president and chief executive officer of Miraculins Inc. "The potential impact of our test on health care costs would be dramatic. Last year, in the U.S. alone, there were 750,000 biopsies performed that produced negative results. At a cost of approximately $2,000 (U.S.) per biopsy, every 10-per-cent reduction in unnecessary biopsies equals an annual cost-savings of $150-million (U.S.)."
"These results are very significant," commented Dr. Richard Casey, president and medical director of CMX Research as well as a leading urologist. "The development of a test by Miraculins that will help to reduce the number of men who undergo unnecessary biopsies will be welcomed by clinicians who are concerned about the poor performance of PSA alone."
When available, final results of the study will be published and presented at an appropriate medical conference.
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