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Research Update.
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[{"type":"text","content":"\n EpiStem Holdings plc\n22 May 2007\n\n\n\n\n22nd May 2007\n\nEpiStem Plc announce biomarker studies for new drug development with AstraZeneca\n\n\nEpiStem Plc (LSE: EHP), the UK epithelial stem cell company, announced today\nthat it had entered into feasibility studies with AstraZeneca to use its\nproprietary plucked hair biomarker technology to help guide preclinical and\nclinical development of new cancer drugs.\n\nEpiStem's biomarker technology is a potentially powerful tool to enable drug\ncompanies to measure the effects of new cancer treatments over time in a\nminimally invasive manner. The biomarker technology may help inform the\nearly-stage assessment of drugs in preclinical development thereby assisting go/\nno-go decisions thereby reducing the risk of an expensive drug failure in later\nclinical trials.\n\nThe biomarker program has evolved from the discovery by EpiStem scientists of\nthe link between the stem cells in the small intestine and the hair follicle.\nFrom this knowledge, the 'plucked hair' biomarker has been developed as a\nnon-invasive tool to measure drug effects on adult epithelial stem cells and\ntissues.\n\nThe biomarker technology works by taking plucked human hairs at various times\nduring cancer treatment and analyzing the corresponding changes in gene\nexpression. Gene expression change in hairs can provide drug development\ncompanies with a measure of drug exposure, toxicity, dose/schedule and patient\nselection in preclinical and clinical drug development. This approach also has\nthe potential to offer oncologists a simple means to more effectively treat\ncancer patients.\n\nDr Jeff Moore, Managing Director of Novel Therapies at EpiStem said, 'The FDA\nhas made it clear that they want new drugs to have biomarkers that show the\ndirect impact of that drug. We are very excited about our biomarker\ndevelopments and believe that our technology will accelerate the development of\nnew cancer therapeutics throughout development and is well placed to improve the\neffectiveness of existing treatment regimens. Our partnership with AstraZeneca,\none of the leading global pharmaceutical companies, offers an exceptional\nprospect for our biomarker technology in helping to guide the development of new\ndrugs. Dr Moore also said 'at this stage of our development, there were no\nforecast commercial values asso...