Immunicon Corporation (IMMC) - 500 Beiträge pro Seite

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Profile:Immunicon Corporation and its subsidiaries engage in the development, manufacture, marketing, and sale of proprietary cell-based diagnostic and research products, and services with a focus on cancer. It develops technologies that identify, count, and characterize a small number of circulating tumor cells (CTC) and other rare cells present in a blood sample of a patient. The company offers CellSave Preservative tube, an evacuated blood collection tube with preservative; CellTracks AutoPrep system, an automated instrument to capture and label cells from 7.5 ml blood samples; CellTracks MagNest Cell Presentation device, a device that presents magnetically labeled cells for analysis; CellTracks Analyzer, a semi-automated fluorescence microscope used to count and characterize cells; and CellSearch Circulating Tumor Cell kit that is used for counting CTCs. It also offers CellSearch Profile kit, which is used to isolate CTCs for subsequent molecular or cellular analysis; CellTracks Endothelial Cell kit that is used in isolating and counting endothelial cells; CellTracks Bone Marrow Tumor kit, which is used to count tumor cells in a bone marrow sample; Tumor Profiling Reagents for CTC characterization; and CellTracks CEC Profile kit that is used to isolate CECs for molecular or cell analysis. The company sells its products to hospitals, reference laboratories, oncology practices, cancer treatment centers, clinical research organizations, and pharmaceutical/biotechnology companies in the United States, Europe, Japan, and Hong Kong. Immunicon has collaboration agreements with Veridex, LLC; Diagnostic HYBRIDS, Inc.; KREATECH Biotechnology B.V.; and University of Twente and STW. The company was founded in 1983 and is based in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania.

http://www.immunicon.com/

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Immunicon Announces Laboratory Services and Assay Development Agreements with Merck Serono
Wednesday August 29, 7:00 am ET


HUNTINGDON VALLEY, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Immunicon Corporation (NASDAQ-GM:IMMC) announced today that it has entered into laboratory service and assay development agreements with Merck Serono, Geneva, Switzerland, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. The agreements cover laboratory service testing and development of specialized biomarker assays based on Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs), within the scope of an early clinical drug study. With the results of the tests performed within the scope of the agreements, researchers at Merck Serono may be able to examine biological activity of the drug(s) being evaluated, both early in the course of treatment and early in the drug development process. Moreover, the new assays developed under the agreement may eventually help doctors to identify patients who have a high probability of responding to the drug under investigation.

Leon Terstappen, M.D. PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of Immunicon, said, "We are looking forward to starting this collaboration with Merck Serono. The ability to 'interrogate' the extremely rare circulating cells once isolated from peripheral blood gives unprecedented opportunities to see 'real-time' what is happening with tumor cells in patients upon exposure to investigational drugs. On top of testing kinetics of circulating tumor cells, which may give important information on drug activity itself, the assays we will be developing in this project may provide predictive information as to who is likely to react to the drug and who is not. This can ultimately be an important tool on the way to personalizing cancer therapy."

Byron D. Hewett, President and Chief Executive Officer of Immunicon, commented, "We are very pleased to work with Merck Serono, a global company focusing on innovative small molecules and biopharmaceuticals. The laboratory service testing and the specialized assay we will develop is yet another example of the value of rare cell isolation and analysis in oncology drug development studies."

About Immunicon Corporation

Immunicon Corporation is developing and commercializing proprietary cell- and molecular-based human diagnostic and life science research products with an initial focus on cancer disease management. Immunicon has developed platform technologies for selection and analysis of rare cells in blood, such as circulating tumor cells and circulating endothelial cells that are important in many diseases and biological processes. Immunicon's products and underlying technology platforms also have application in the clinical development of cancer drugs and in cancer research and may have applications in other fields of medicine, such as cardiovascular and infectious diseases. For more information, please visit www.immunicon.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are often preceded by words such as "hope," "may," "believe," "anticipate," "plan," "expect," "intend," "assume," "will" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, among others, statements regarding the anticipated clinical utility of Immunicon's products and services and other statements not of historical fact. Immunicon cautions investors not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release, are based on the current expectations and intent of the management of Immunicon and involve certain factors, such as risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to be far different from those suggested by these statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict, including, but not limited to, risks and uncertainties associated with: Immunicon's dependence on Veridex, LLC, a Johnson & Johnson company, in the field of cancer cell analysis; the ability to earn license and milestone payments under Immunicon's agreement with Veridex; Immunicon's capital and financing needs; research and development and clinical trial expenditures; commercialization of product candidates; Immunicon's ability to obtain licenses from third parties to commercialize products; Immunicon's ability to manage its growth; obtaining necessary regulatory approvals; reliance on third party manufacturers and suppliers; reimbursement by third party payors to Immunicon's customers; compliance with applicable manufacturing standards; retaining key personnel; delays in the development of new products or planned improvements to products; effectiveness of products compared to competitors' products; protection of Immunicon's intellectual property; conflicts with third party intellectual property; product liability lawsuits that may be brought against Immunicon; labor, contract or technical difficulties; and competitive pressures in Immunicon's industry. These factors are discussed in more detail in Immunicon's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, Immunicon accepts no responsibility for updating the information contained in this press release beyond the published date, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, or for modifications made to this document by Internet or wire services.

"Immunicon" and the Immunicon Corporation logo are registered trademarks of Immunicon Corporation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.



Contact:
Immunicon Corporation
James G. Murphy
SVP of Finance & Administration, CFO
215-346-8313
[e-mail]
or
Investors/Media:
Tierney Communications
Denise Portner
Vice President
215-790-4395
[e-mail]

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Source: Immunicon Corporation

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CellSearch(TM) Circulating Tumor Cell Kit Receives FDA Clearance for Monitoring Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
Monday November 26, 7:00 am ET
Data is consistent with that seen in breast cancer and broadens the clinical utility of the CellSearch test


HUNTINGDON VALLEY, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Immunicon Corporation (NASDAQ-GM:IMMC) announced today that FDA clearance has been received for the CellSearch™ Circulating Tumor Cell Kit as an aid in the monitoring of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. The CellSearch test was originally cleared in 2004 for in vitro diagnostic use in patients with metastatic breast cancer. Serial testing for circulating tumor cell (CTC) count should be used in conjunction with other clinical methods for monitoring colorectal or breast cancer. Evaluation of CTC count at any time during the course of disease allows assessment of patient prognosis and is predictive of progression free survival and overall survival. The CellSearch Circulating Tumor Cell Kit, developed by Immunicon, is exclusively marketed by Veridex, LLC, in the cancer field.
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The colorectal cancer trial was a prospective, multi-center study designed for longitudinal enumeration of CTCs in patients with metastatic colorectal carcinomas measurable by imaging. A total of 430 evaluable patients were enrolled into the trial between February 2004 and February 2006, from a total of 55 sites in the United States and Europe. Imaging studies were performed prior to the initiation of therapy and at subsequent intervals of approximately 6-12 weeks. CTCs were measured at baseline, 1-2 and 3-5 weeks after the initiation of therapy, and at the time of all subsequent imaging studies (approximately every 6-12 weeks) using Immunicon’s CellTracks® technology. Metastatic colorectal cancer patients remained on the study and provided blood for up to 12 months or until documented evidence of disease progression and/or death. Long-term survival information is being obtained on all patients by medical record review at periodic intervals for up to 24 months after study completion.

Consistent with the data in metastatic breast cancer, CTCs predict survival at multiple time points during the course of therapy. Patients with 3 or more CTCs at any of the time points had a much higher likelihood of dying sooner than patients with less than 3 CTCs. For example, at the 3-5 week time point, patients with 3 or more CTCs had a median survival of 4.4 months, whereas patients with less than 3 has median survival of 16.4 months. This represents a 3.7-fold difference in survival.

Furthermore, the trial showed that changes in CTC count during therapy are significant. Patients with 3 or more CTCs prior to treatment who dropped to less than 3 CTCs had a median survival of 11.7 months, which is a significant improvement in survival when compared to patients whose CTC count remained above 3 for the duration of the trial, where the median survival was only 3.9 months. Patients who started with less than 3 and converted to 3 or more CTCs had a median survival of 7.1 months. Patients with less than 3 CTCs throughout the study had the highest median survival (18.6 months).

Leon Terstappen, chief scientific officer of Immunicon commented, “The new FDA-cleared claims in metastatic colorectal cancer are very important because the clinical utility of CTC counts is validated in a second major carcinoma. The CellSearch test represents an additional tool for oncologists to manage their patients with objective information much sooner than currently available CT imaging.”

Byron Hewett, president and CEO of Immunicon said, “We are pleased to add another carcinoma claim to the CellSearch™ package insert. We look forward to adding claims in prostate cancer by mid-2008.”