SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwire - April 19, 2010) -  AltheaDx, Inc., a leader in the development of companion diagnostics, and The Nicholas Conor Institute for Pediatric Cancer Research, announced today that they have entered into collaboration to:

• Develop a broad panel of diagnostic, prognostic, and treatment prediction information for pediatric cancer
• Provide actionable information to attending physicians that will best guide treatment for pediatric cancer
• Achieve a significant milestone towards The Nicholas Conor Institute's mission of improving diagnosis and treatment of pediatric cancer

The collaboration will build upon AltheaDx's existing test for diagnosis of multiple pediatric tumor types, and expand the test beyond diagnosis to include prognosis and response to therapy, as well as additional cancer types. The goal of the collaboration is to produce a single genetic panel from a single biopsy that will diagnose and inform treatment.

The Nicholas Conor Institute and AltheaDx are currently seeking additional funding to cover the development costs of the program.

"We are looking forward to our collaboration with The Nicholas Conor Institute and the opportunity to provide a uniform approach to pediatric cancer diagnosis and treatment through a single, definitive test," said Dr. Joe Monforte, Chief Scientific Officer of AltheaDx. "The genetic analysis methods in our toolset can definitely make this possible."

"Our goal is to work closely with the industry to accelerate commercialization of new pediatric diagnostic tests and treatment regimens, despite the small market size, to produce better outcomes for children. Our collaboration with AltheaDx is a key part of achieving that goal," said Dr. Beth Anne Baber, co-founder and CEO of The Nicholas Conor Institute.

About Pediatric cancer
Worldwide, approximately 160,000 children between birth and the age of 14 will develop cancer each year and around 87,000 children will die from the disease. Despite childhood cancers accounting for slightly less than 1% of all cancers, it is the leading cause of disease-related death in children in developed countries. As fewer and fewer children are dying from preventable infectious diseases, cancer is now emerging as a major cause of death among children in developing countries. 

Survival from childhood cancer largely depends on the availability of treatments that have been shown to be effective in adults, often on cancers that are fundamentally different from those in children. As a result, 62% of the children that survive cancer will have a chronic health condition and after 30 years roughly 42% will have a severe or life-threatening or even life-ending chronic health condition.

About The Nicholas Conor Institute
The Nicholas Conor Institute is a non-profit medical research organization with the goal of identifying and developing innovative therapies and diagnostic approaches to treating childhood cancer. The Nicholas Conor Institute is collaborating with biotechnology companies, academic centers, and other philanthropic organizations to move discoveries from the bench to the bedside. For additional information, please visit: www.thenicholasconorinstitute.org

About AltheaDx
AltheaDx is bringing theranostics into clinical use. The goal of AltheaDx is to reduce the time, risk, and cost of therapeutic development for strategic partners and to provide a clear path for development and commercialization of high-value companion diagnostic tests.

For additional information, please visit: www.AltheaDx.com.

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