Nanosphere Verisens(TM) Ultra-Sensitive PSA Assay Combined With The AnalizaDx SIA Technology Shows Promising Results For Improved Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

NORTHBROOK, Ill. and CLEVELAND, Oct. 7, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- At the annual meeting of the North-Central American Urological Association, Mark Stovsky, MD, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine – Case Medical Center, and principal investigator, presented positive data combining the AnalizaDx SIA technology with the Nanosphere Verisens™ ultra-sensitive PSA assay (research use only). Nanosphere is collaborating with AnalizaDx – which has developed a proprietary platform to screen for protein biomarkers in serum and other biological fluids – on development of next-generation PSA tests for prostate cancer.

Data presented for blood serum showed that at a sensitivity of 100%, the specificity was 76%, with a negative predictive value of 100% (ruling out patients who do not have prostate cancer) and a positive predictive value of 84% (likelihood that a patient ruled in would have cancer based on biopsy). The use of the Nanosphere Verisens™ ultra-sensitive PSA assay achieved sensitivity and specificity required for prostate cancer diagnosis, that is not possible with existing commercial assays.

In addition to Case Western, the academic investigators were from Cleveland Clinic, the Veterans Administration Healthcare System in Boston, and the National Cancer Institute.

About Verisens™ PSA (RUO)

Verisens™ PSA is an in-vitro diagnostic assay for the high-sensitivity detection and quantification of prostate specific antigen (PSA). The assay was developed in collaboration with the International Institute for Nanotechnology at Northwestern University. Currently, it is intended to be performed as a testing service for research use only (see research-use notification below).

About SIA

Solvent Interaction Technology (SIA) is a highly promising technology with the potential to discover and screen for structural changes in circulating proteins in serum and other biological fluids. SIA assay chemistries can be developed directly from actual clinical samples, and without requiring a priori structural or mechanistic assumptions. Furthermore, the technology is highly automatable, and once validated, could be readily transferred to the clinic.