Byline: Sam Holmes
Aug 28, 2005 (Herald Sun - ABIX via COMTEX) — Forthcoming data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics will highlight the impact of exports and commodity prices on the current account deficit. The deficit reached a record $A15.65bn in the March 2005 quarter, but it is tipped to have fallen to around
$A13.5bn in the June quarter. Shane Lee of Citigroup is even more bullish, forecasting a deficit of $A13.4bn for the quarter, citing factors such as higher export volumes and
lower imports as a result of …
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NEW YORK — Xenomics, Inc. (OTCBB:XNOM), a developer of next-generation medical DNA technologies, announced today the online availability of an interview given by CEO Dr. Randy White to CNN/Money.
In the interview, Dr. White discusses Xenomics’ latest efforts to develop a novel noninvasive medical diagnostic test to detect prenatal Down syndrome, which he tells CNN/Money reporter, Aaron Smith, would be safe and accurate based on Xenomics’ Transrenal-DNA (Tr-DNA) platform technology.
"At this day and age where we have professional women who are continuing to delay their pregnancies, this is a badly needed test," says White in the interview, referring to the increased risk of fetal Down syndrome in older mothers. "There is a bad, bad need for a test that is safe and effective and gives a definitive yes-no result."
If clinical tests are successful, Xenomics could submit its product to the Food and Drug Administration in 2007. Xenomics believes its technology could revolutionize prenatal diagnostic testing, by providing an earlier and more accurate result than the currently available triple and quad screen tests and as a prescreen for amniocentesis may reduce the number of these potentially risky procedures performed.
Several of the key competitive advantages of Xenomics’ Tr-DNA technology include its ability to be conducted on easily-obtained urine samples, the potential to deliver a result in the first trimester of pregnancy (6-7 weeks) as compared to the second trimester (16-18 weeks) for all existing tests, the potential to deliver a definitive yes/no result instead of the risk assessment obtained with the triple and quad screen tests and the future ability to deliver a suite of prenatal genetic tests from a single sample collection
The interview also features Shara Rosen, an independent, third party analyst with Kalorama Information. "The Holy Grail right now in prenatal screening is either maternal blood or urine," Rosen says. "Everybody and his uncle is looking for something to replace amniocentesis. Next to cancer, it is the huge frontier." She also is quoted as saying, "If the company is successful on the risky road to getting a prenatal DNA urinalysis on the market, it could be a revenue boon," says Rosen.
"If it works, whoa, it’s like (the invention of the) printing press," Rosen adds. "They’ve got a license to print money."
The Company is currently conducting human clinical trials of its Tr-DNA technology for prenatal Down syndrome in partnerships with the Eastern Virginia Medical School, a leading healthcare and educational institution, and with the North Shore-Long Island Jewish (LIJ) Health System, one of the nation’s largest healthcare institutions.
Xenomics is also developing new and medically valuable Tr-DNA tests for infectious diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis and malaria. The Company’s Tr-DNA technology involves the analysis of fragments of DNA that have moved from the blood stream through the kidneys, where they accumulate in urine.
Xenomics’ scientists were the first to detect this DNA material in urine samples. Most existing medical DNA diagnostic tests use blood or tissue samples from more invasive tissue biopsies, which are more difficult to obtain.
The full text of the interview with Xenomics’ Dr. Randy White is freely available by visiting: http://money.cnn.com/2005/08/26/news/midcaps/xenomics/index.htm.
About Xenomics, Inc.
Xenomics is a molecular diagnostic company that focuses on the development of DNA-based tests using Transrenal DNA (Tr-DNA). Xenomics’ patented technology uses safe and simple urine collection and can be applied to a broad range of applications, including prenatal testing, tumor detection and monitoring, tissue transplantation, infectious disease detection, genetic testing for forensic identity determination, drug development, and research to counter bioterrorism. Scientists from Xenomics were the first to report that fragments of DNA from normal cell death cross the kidney barrier and can be detected in urine. The Company believes that its technology will open significant new markets in the molecular diagnostics field. Xenomics has three issued U.S. patents covering different applications of the technology for molecular diagnostics and genetic testing and a pending European patent for the same applications. The Company has organized a joint venture to conduct research on infectious disease detection with the National Institute for Infectious Diseases (Instituto Nazionale per le Malattie Infettive "Lazarus Spallanzani") in Rome, in the form of a new R&D company called SpaXen Italia, S.R.L. For more information, please visit http://xenomics.com. For more investor-specific information, including daily and historical Company stock quote data and recent news releases, please visit http://www.trilogy-capital.com/tcp/xenomics. To read or download the Company’s Investor Fact Sheet visit http://www.trilogy-capital.com/tcp/xenomics/factsheet.html. To view an online video about Xenomics technology and products, visit http://www.trilogy-capital.com/tcp/xenomics/video.html. A TV news report about the Company’s next-generation prenatal tests can be viewed at http://www.trilogy-capital.com/tcp/xenomics/ny1_video.html.
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The drug donepezil, which is used in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), recently achieved good results in four adults with Down Syndrome (DS). Similarities between the neurobiology of AD and DS have also been noted. This prompted two Italian scientists to investigate the value of the standardized extract of Ginkgo biloba in two young patients with DS. (1)
The patients were not affected by cardiac or other malformations and did not have any other significant medical or psychiatric problems. The Ginkgo was given over their summer holidays.
The first case study was a boy aged 10 years 11 months who had an IQ of 40 (Wechsler Scale) and a Vineland score of 455 (a measure of mental impairment). He was given a daily dose of 80 mg of Ginkgo extract (corresponding to 4 g of leaf) for 11 weeks. Retesting the Vineland score showed an improvement to 497. The child also exhibited major improvements in personal autonomy and social behavior (he began to make new friends spontaneously).
The second patient (age 17 years 8 months) had an IQ of 44 and a Vineland score of 721. He received 120 mg of Ginkgo extract for 13 weeks. His Vineland score improved to 758 with improvements in memorizing, writing and self control.
Commentary
The results from these two case studies are very encouraging and hopefully will be confirmed by a properly designed clinical trial. They also suggest a potential role in Down Syndrome for other herbs which have been proven to enhance cognitive processes such as Bacopa, sage, Korean ginseng, Schisandra and Eleutherococcus.
Reference
1. Donfrancesco R, Dell’umomo A. Ginkgo biloba in Down Syndrome. Phytomedicine 2004; 11: 469
COPYRIGHT 2005 The Townsend Letter Group
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group
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Objective: Since 1964, researchers have been examining the ways in which physicians deliver a postnatal diagnosis of Down syndrome (DS). Almost all of the studies, however, have been limited to reflections or very small sample sizes. The objective of this study was to document, in the most robust comprehensive way, the reflections of mothers in the United States who received diagnoses of DS for their children.
Methods: An 11-page survey was mailed to 2945 persons on the membership lists of 5 DS parent organizations. The survey gathered both quantitative and qualitative data with …
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