Serum-Based Diagnostic Test for Colon Cancer Now Available

GAITHERSBURG, Md. -- Panacea Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that CC Detect(SM), the company's serum-based colon cancer diagnostic test, is now available from Panacea Laboratories. CC Detect is a simple blood test that should facilitate the identification of individuals with cancer of the colon and rectum when used in conjunction with standard screening methods.

Panacea Laboratories, a division of Panacea Pharmaceuticals, is certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA). The blood sample can be ordered by any physician and sent to Panacea for testing; sample and shipping requirements are available at www.panacea-labs.com.

CC Detect measures levels of human aspartyl (asparaginyl) beta-hydroxylase (HAAH), a cancer molecular marker, in blood. HAAH has been detected by immunohistochemical staining (IHC) in a broad range of cancers including colon cancer. In addition, HAAH protein levels in serum have been demonstrated to be highly sensitive and specific for cancer in hundreds of patients with a range of cancer types, including colon cancer. Increased levels of HAAH have been found in the serum of 99 percent of individuals with colorectal cancer (n=145). In individuals not known to have cancer, HAAH was essentially undetectable in serum. HAAH was elevated in serum from individuals with all stages of colorectal cancer; mean serum HAAH levels for stages I-IV were 33, 29, 24 and 34 ng/ml, respectively.

"CC Detect provides information to differentiate individuals who have colorectal cancer from those who do not have cancer; it should be performed in individuals at increased and high risk as per the ACS recommendations for their particular risk factors," commented Pamela Jo Harris, MD, vice president, medical and clinical affairs at Panacea. "An elevated HAAH value should be interpreted by the physician in conjunction with a physical exam and the results of the screening tests recommended by the ACS, which should facilitate earlier identification of recurrent disease and prompt initiation of appropriate therapy. Detection and prompt treatment of early colorectal cancer is likely to result in improved outcomes and fewer deaths attributable to the disease."

Source: Panacea Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

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