MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Precision Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: AIPT) (“Precision” or “the Company”), a company focused on
applying artificial intelligence to personalized medicine and drug discovery, is pleased to announce that Helomics Corporation,
which has a definitive merger agreement with AIPT, has launched its new Precision Oncology Insights platform. This platform
provides a personalized oncology roadmap for oncologists and their patients. The initial focus will be on gynecologic cancers,
especially ovarian.
This unique platform tests living tumor tissue from the patient to determine how the tumors respond to drugs. Helomics then
combines this drug response profile with other genomic and molecular data. The results are analysed by its Artificial Intelligence
knowledgebase, D-CHIP™ (Dynamic Clinical Health Insights Platform), to generate a roadmap that provides additional context to help
the patient’s oncologist personalize treatment.
Helomics’ commercialization strategy for the Precision Oncology Insights platform is focused on its existing network of 1,200+
oncologists, together with negotiating strategic deals with global academic medical centers. Furthermore, new tumors are being
continuously added to the D-CHIP platform from patients using Precision Oncology Insights. D-CHIP will become the cornerstone of
pharmaceutical drug development programs, biomarker discovery, patient recruitment and selection for clinical trials and drug
repurposing initiatives. This has the potential to generate very significant revenue to Helomics.
Dr. Mark Collins, VP of Innovation and Strategy for Helomics commented, “We firmly believe this unique tumor drug response
profiling platform, together with the latest Next Generation Sequencing (NGS)-based genomic profiling and our vast D-CHIP AI
powered knowledge-base of 150,000 tumors, provides a more functional approach to precision medicine than relying on genomics alone.
We believe this new Precision Oncology Insights approach will help oncologists better guide therapy decision making and we are
excited to roll it out for our oncologists and their patients during 2018.”
“With the launch of the Precision Oncology Insights platform, we are executing on our strategy of moving from a traditional
diagnostic company focused on offering specific tests and dependent upon unreliable reimbursement policies, to a precision medicine
company that provide of actionable treatment roadmaps supported by a proprietary AI-powered bioinformatics engine. This new
business model offers more sustainable revenue stream, while growing patient specimen volume which grows the data and hence the
value of our D-CHIP database,” commented Mr. Gerald Vardzel, CEO of Helomics.
Dr. Carl Schwartz, Chief Executive Officer of Precision Therapeutics, commented, “Helomics is making excellent progress as it
advances its mission to have a positive and meaningful impact on outcomes in precision medicine. The Precision Oncology Insights
Business is currently focused on building closer relationships with oncologists. While the outreach efforts are ongoing, Helomics
has already received positive feedback and validation for its precision oncology insight approach. As tumor sample volumes
increase, we expect to leverage this into additional data for the D-CHIP, which will in turn grow revenues and the total value of
the business.”
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About Precision Therapeutics Inc.
Precision Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AIPT) operates in two business areas: first, applying artificial intelligence to
personalized medicine and drug discovery to provide personalized medicine solutions for patients and clinicians as well as clients
in the pharmaceutical, diagnostic, and biotech industries, and second, production of the FDA-approved STREAMWAY® System for
automated, direct-to-drain medical fluid disposal. For additional information, please visit www.precisiontherapeutics.com.
Precision Therapeutics’ medicine business is committed to improving the effectiveness of cancer therapy using the power of
artificial intelligence (AI) applied to rich data diseases databases. This business has launched with Precision
Therapeutics' investment in Helomics Corporation, a precision medicine company and integrated clinical contract research
organization whose mission is to improve patient care by partnering with pharmaceutical, diagnostic, and academic organizations to
bring innovative clinical products and technologies to the marketplace. In addition to its proprietary precision diagnostics
for oncology, Helomics offers boutique CRO services that leverage their patient-derived tumor models, coupled to a wide range of
multi-omics assays (genomics, proteomics and biochemical), and a proprietary bioinformatics platform (D-CHIP) to provide a tailored
solution to our client's specific needs. Helomics is 25% owned by Precision Therapeutics. Helomics® is headquartered
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where the company maintains state-of-the-art, CLIA-certified, clinical and research
laboratories. For more information, please visit www.Helomics.com.
Precision Therapeutics has also announced the formation of a subsidiary, TumorGenesis to pursue a new rapid approach to
growing tumors in the laboratory, which essentially “fools” the cancer cells into thinking they are still growing inside the
patient. Precision Therapeutics and Helomics have also announced a proposed joint venture with GLG Pharma focused on
using their combined technologies to bring personalized medicines and testing to ovarian and breast cancer patients, especially
those who present with ascites fluid (over one-third of patients). The growth strategy in this business includes securing new
partnerships and considering acquisitions in the precision medicine space.
Sold through the Skyline Medical business of Precision Therapeutics, The STREAMWAY System virtually eliminates staff
exposure to blood, irrigation fluid and other potentially infectious fluids found in the healthcare environment. Antiquated manual
fluid handling methods that require hand carrying and emptying filled fluid canisters present an exposure risk and potential
liability. Skyline Medical's STREAMWAY System fully automates the collection, measurement, and disposal of waste fluids and is
designed to: 1) reduce overhead costs to hospitals and surgical centers; 2) improve compliance with OSHA and other
regulatory agency safety guidelines; 3) improve efficiency in the operating room, and radiology and endoscopy departments, thereby
leading to greater profitability; and 4) provide greater environmental stewardship by helping to eliminate the approximately 50
million potentially disease-infected canisters that go into landfills each year in the U.S. For additional information,
please visit www.skylinemedical.com.
Forward-looking Statements
Certain of the matters discussed in this announcement contain forward-looking statements that involve material risks to and
uncertainties in the Company's business that may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the statements
made herein. Such risks and uncertainties include (1) risks related to the proposed merger, including the fact that we may not
complete the merger; we do not have complete information about Helomics; the combined company will not be able to continue
operating without additional financing; possible failure to realize anticipated benefits of the merger; costs associated with the
merger may be higher than expected; the merger may result in disruption of the Company’s and Helomics’ existing businesses,
distraction of management and diversion of resources; delay in completion of the merger may significantly reduce the expected
benefits; and the market price of the Company’s common stock may decline as a result of the merger; (2) risks related to our
partnerships with other companies, including the need to negotiate the definitive agreements; possible failure to realize
anticipated benefits of these partnerships; and costs of providing funding to our partner companies, which may never be repaid or
provide anticipated returns; and (3) other risks and uncertainties relating to the Company that include, among other things,
current negative operating cash flows and a need for additional funding to finance our operating plan; the terms of any further
financing, which may be highly dilutive and may include onerous terms; unexpected costs and operating deficits, and lower than
expected sales and revenues; sales cycles that can be longer than expected, resulting in delays in projected sales or failure to
make such sales; uncertain willingness and ability of customers to adopt new technologies and other factors that may affect further
market acceptance, if our product is not accepted by our potential customers, it is unlikely that we will ever become profitable;
adverse economic conditions; adverse results of any legal proceedings; the volatility of our operating results and financial
condition; inability to attract or retain qualified senior management personnel, including sales and marketing personnel; our
ability to establish and maintain the proprietary nature of our technology through the patent process, as well as our ability to
possibly license from others patents and patent applications necessary to develop products; the Company's ability to implement its
long range business plan for various applications of its technology; the Company's ability to enter into agreements with any
necessary marketing and/or distribution partners and with any strategic or joint venture partners; the impact of competition, the
obtaining and maintenance of any necessary regulatory clearances applicable to applications of the Company's technology; and
management of growth and other risks and uncertainties that may be detailed from time to time in the Company's reports filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available for review at www.sec.gov. This is not a solicitation to buy or sell securities and does not purport to
be an analysis of the Company's financial position. See the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, and subsequent
reports and other filings at www.sec.gov.
Contacts:
Investor Relations
KCSA Strategic Communications
Elizabeth Barker
(212) 896-1203
ebarker@kcsa.com
MONEYINFO, LLC
Charles Moskowitz
617-827-1296
info@moneyinfo-llc.com