GeneNews announces U.S. issuance of core Sentinel Principle(R) Patent

    
    - Proprietary platform technology identifies blood based biomarkers for
    wide range of diseases and clinical conditions -
    

TORONTO , Oct. 6 /CNW/ - GeneNews Limited (TSX: GEN), a company focused on developing blood-based biomarker tests for the early detection of diseases and personalized health management, today announced that it has been granted a U.S. patent for its core platform technology, the Sentinel Principle(R). U.S. Patent No. 7,598,031, entitled "Method for the detection of gene transcripts in blood and uses thereof," protects the Company's Sentinel Principle(R), a powerful method for identifying markers relating to disease and health using only a basic blood sample.

"This patent is founded on seminal pioneering experiments involving large-scale gene expression profiling of human blood which were performed in the 1990's by Dr. Choong-Chin Liew, Chief Scientist and Co-Founder of GeneNews," said Dr. Heiner Dreismann , Lead Director and Interim CEO of GeneNews. "The issuance of this foundational patent is a landmark achievement that strengthens our emerging leadership position in the rapidly-growing molecular diagnostics space and promises to spur new approaches by industry."

"The Sentinel Principle is a ground-breaking approach for identifying clinically actionable biomarkers," said Gailina Liew, Chief Operating Officer of GeneNews. "This milestone achievement provides a strong basis for our related portfolio of pending patents which protects the application of our Sentinel Principle technology across a broad spectrum of human disease. It also provides GeneNews with opportunities to realize additional commercial value through potential licensing arrangements and the further development of our own pipeline of 'Sentry' products."

The Sentinel Principle(R), a platform technology developed by GeneNews, is based on the concept that all clinical conditions and body states, including those resulting from disease or in response to treatment, generate characteristic gene expression signatures in the blood as a result of the close physiological interaction of blood with the cells, tissues and organs of the human body. This technology is the basis of GeneNews' first product, ColonSentry(TM), the world's first blood test for colorectal cancer, which was launched in Canada last year. A broad portfolio of patent applications related to this foundational patent in diverse disease areas including cancer, cardiovascular, neurological and inflammatory conditions have also been submitted by GeneNews.

About GeneNews

GeneNews is focused on the application of functional genomics to enable early diagnosis and personalized health management based on disease-specific biomarkers. The Company has developed a novel approach, the Sentinel Principle(R), to detect and stage virtually any disease or medical condition from a simple blood sample. GeneNews is currently applying the Sentinel Principle(R) in major areas with unmet clinical needs such as cancer, arthritis, cardiovascular disease and neurological disorders. GeneNews launched its first commercial product, ColonSentry(TM), a blood-based test to assess an individual's risk for colorectal cancer, in Canada in 2008. For more information on GeneNews and ColonSentry(TM), visit www.genenews.com or www.colonsentry.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements, which reflect the Company's current expectations regarding future events. The forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Actual events could differ materially from those projected herein. Investors should consult the Company's ongoing quarterly filings and annual reports for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to these forward-looking statements. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

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For further information: Gailina Liew, Chief Operating Officer, [phone], [email protected]; Casey Gurfinkel, [phone] x 283, [email protected]