| Earlier this year Aureon Laboratories released | | | | patient, after a prostatectomy, will have disease |
| Prostate Px(TM), the first in a series of tests that | | | | progression within five years.oAvoid possible side |
| predict prostate cancer recurrence. The test | | | | effects associated with therapy (e.g. androgen |
| stratifies patients into high or low risk categories for | | | | deprivation therapy) for asymptomatic low risk |
| the likelihood of experiencing a return of their | | | | patients.oIdentify patients with high risk of clinical |
| prostate cancer after they have had their prostate | | | | failure who may benefit from increased surveillance |
| surgically removed (prostatectomy). In addition, | | | | or early adjuvant therapy.oHelp relieve anxiety and |
| Aureon is in the final stages of development of | | | | allow patients, their families and their physicians to |
| Prostate Px(TM) + ( a new predictive test for | | | | decide upon the best treatment regimen moving |
| prostate cancer that will use biopsy tissue, at the | | | | forward.oAssist in patient selection for new therapies |
| time of diagnosis | | | | as part of randomized clinical trials. |
| Approximately 15-40% of patients who have had | | | | Technology: |
| their prostate removed will develop a serum PSA or | | | | The basis for the predictive power of Prostate Px is |
| biochemical recurrence (BCR). Moreover, a man with | | | | its unique breakthrough technology. Aureon's System |
| prostate cancer who has had a PSA recurrence can | | | | Pathology platform combines histological, molecular |
| still develop a metastasis some eight years post PSA | | | | and clinical information to predict cancer recurrence. |
| BCR suggesting that identifying this group of patients | | | | After prostatectomy, the physician orders Prostate |
| early in their treatment program is critical to their | | | | Px and a small section of the prostate tissue sample |
| overall survival. | | | | is collected from the pathology department at the |
| The current practice for following patients after a | | | | hospital where the surgery was performed and sent |
| prostatectomy is to test their blood for prostate | | | | to Aureon's specialized laboratory. Aureon's approach |
| specific antigen (PSA) to determine whether their | | | | integrates:oHistology (tissue): Prostate Px analyzes |
| cancer is returning. This period can be a time of great | | | | the cells and other structures in a prostate cancer |
| anxiety and many patients are searching for additional | | | | tissue sample. This results in the generation of |
| sources of information in order to make a | | | | specific (quantitative) features for inclusion in the |
| more-informed decision about possible treatment | | | | mathematical model.oMolecular markers: Prostate Px |
| options. An accurate prognosis is important because | | | | selectively measures specific proteins in prostate |
| the majority of tumors are indolent and require | | | | tissue samples in order to obtain a unique molecular |
| minimal intervention while a subset are more | | | | picture of the patient's prostate cancer.oClinical data: |
| aggressive and early intervention may be valuable. | | | | Prostate Px takes into account important clinical |
| The Prostate Px test has two endpoints for cancer | | | | information such as the Gleason score and the |
| recurrence:oPSA Recurrence Px Score describes the | | | | pathology results from the patient's surgery. |
| likelihood of the patient developing a PSA recurrence | | | | By combining these sources of information and by |
| within five years of having their prostate | | | | applying advanced computer technology and |
| removed.oDisease Progression Px Score describes | | | | mathematics, Prostate Px is able to provide patients |
| the likelihood of the patient developing Disease | | | | a more thorough picture of their individual risk for |
| Progression defined as bone/soft tissue metastasis | | | | recurrent disease. |
| and/or androgen independent rise in PSA within five | | | | Next Generation: |
| years of having their prostate removed. | | | | Prostate Px is just the first in a new generation of |
| Compared to existing methods, Prostate Px provides | | | | predictive tests from Aureon that combines the |
| a prediction of PSA recurrence with a sensitivity of | | | | power of advanced mathematics with biology and |
| 96%. In addition, Prostate Px can predict disease | | | | clinical practice. |
| progression and does so with a sensitivity of 89%. | | | | As stated earlier, Aureon is in the final stages of |
| Prostate Px benefits patients and physicians at a | | | | development of Prostate Px(TM) +, a new predictive |
| number of decision points after surgery. The | | | | test for prostate cancer that will use biopsy tissue, |
| predictive test can:oProvide a probability of whether | | | | at the time of diagnosis, and Aureon's system |
| a patient, after a prostatectomy, will have a PSA | | | | pathology platform to assess future disease severity. |
| recurrence within five years.oPredict whether a | | | | |