Exhibit
99.1
|
For
Immediate Release
|
TSX:
TMC
|
TM
BIOSCIENCE TO SUPPLY TAG-IT™ REAGENTS FOR PERSONALIZED
MEDICINE
STUDY
Collaborative
study to evaluate impact of genetic testing for warfarin dosing on patient
safety
and
financial savings -
Toronto,
Ontario, January 30, 2007 - Tm Bioscience Corporation (TSX:
TMC),
a
leader in the commercial genetic testing market, today announced that its
Tag-It™ reagents for P450-2C9 and VKORC1 will be used in a comprehensive
prospective clinical study of patients using warfarin, a widely used blood
thinner initially marketed as Coumadin®. The collaborative study between Medco
Health Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: MHS), a pharmacy
benefits management company, and
Mayo Collaborative Services, Inc. will jointly evaluate the potential of
genetic
testing to deliver cost-savings while improving patient safety and care by
reducing adverse drug reactions.
“Each
year, approximately two million people in the United States begin therapy
with
warfarin to prevent blood clots, however, as many as one in five will suffer
adverse events from mild to severe bleeding. Genetic testing can provide
valuable information about the rate at which patients will metabolize the
drug,
helping physicians prescribe the most appropriate dose of the medication
for a
particular patient,” said Dr. Thomas Moyer, Medical Director for Mayo
Collaborative Services and the co-Primary Investigator for the trial.
Medco
and Mayo will evaluate the genetic test results from more than 1,000 patients
taking warfarin. The program is scheduled to begin enrolling patients in
the
first quarter of 2007 and be complete by the end of that year.
“Companion
testing for warfarin represents a significant near-term opportunity within
our
pharmacogenetic test franchise,” said Mr. Greg Hines, President and CEO of Tm
Bioscience. “We anticipate this study will highlight the enormous potential for
genetic testing to assist physicians in improving outcomes for their patients.”
About
Mayo Medical Laboratories/The Department of Laboratory Medicine
The
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic maintains
an
active diagnostic test development program. This program also incorporates
discoveries from other diagnostic and biotechnology companies and academic
organizations. Mayo utilizes these proven diagnostic technologies in the
care of
its patients and offers them to more than 3,500 health care institutions
around
the world through Mayo Medical Laboratories. Revenue from Mayo Medical
Laboratories testing is used to support medical education and research at
Mayo
Clinic. Mayo Collaborative Services, Inc. is the parent company.
About
Medco
Medco
Health Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: MHS - News) is the nation's leading pharmacy
benefit manager based on its 2005 total net revenues of nearly $38 billion.
Medco's prescription drug benefit programs are designed to drive down the
cost
of pharmacy health care for private and public employers, health plans, labor
unions and
government
agencies of all sizes, and for individuals served by the Medicare Part D
Prescription Drug Program. Medco's technologically advanced mail-order
pharmacies and award-winning Internet pharmacy have been recognized for setting
new industry benchmarks for pharmacy dispensing quality. Medco serves the
needs
of patients with complex conditions requiring sophisticated treatment through
its specialty pharmacy operation, which became the nation's largest with
the
2005 acquisition of Accredo Health, Incorporated. Medco is the highest-ranked
pharmacy benefit manager on the 2006 Fortune 500 list. On the Net:
http://www.medco.com.
About
Tm Bioscience - Putting the Human Genome to Work™
Tm
Bioscience (TSX: TMC) is a Toronto-based diagnostics company developing a
suite
of DNA-based tests for genetic disorders, drug metabolism (pharmacogenetics)
and
infectious diseases. On December 14, 2006 Luminex Corporation (NASDAQ:LMNX)
and
Tm Bioscience announced a definitive agreement for Luminex to acquire Tm
Bioscience.
Tm
Bioscience has developed and commercialized Analyte Specific Reagents* and
a
series of Tag-It™** tests for a variety of genetic disorders. These tests are
based on Tm Bioscience’s Tag-It™ Universal Array platform, which utilizes a
proprietary universal tag system that allows for easy optimization, product
development and expansion.
Tm
Bioscience’s Cystic Fibrosis (CF) test is the first multiplexed human disease
genotyping test to be cleared by the FDA as an in vitro device (IVD) for
diagnostic use in the U.S. It has also received CE mark certification and
Health
Canada clearance, allowing the test to be marketed for diagnostic purposes
in
the European Union and Canada.
The
ID-Tag™ Respiratory Viral Panel from Tm Bioscience is a reliable and
cost-effective test designed to play a key role in patient management, infection
control and in countering the pandemic threat of respiratory diseases, all
with
results in less than six hours. The ID-Tag™ RVP has received CE mark
certification and the Company is focused on gaining regulatory clearance
from
the FDA for the ID-Tag™ RVP as an in vitro device (IVD) in the United States and
is also working towards Health Canada approval. The CE marked IVD product
probes
for 20 viral sequences and Tm is seeking a license for an equivalent IVD
product
in Canada. In the United States, the IVD application is for a product which
excludes the SARS sequence.
In
addition, the Company is developing a companion test for the blood-thinning
drug
warfarin and a test for patients under treatment for sepsis. For more
information, visit http://www.tmbioscience.com.
*
Analyte Specific Reagent. Analytical and performance characteristics are
not
established.
**
For Investigational Use Only. The performance characteristics of these products
have not been established.
Forward-Looking
Statements
This
press release contains information that is forward-looking information within
the meaning of applicable securities laws. In some cases, forward-looking
information can be identified by the use of terms such as “may”, “will”,
“should”, “expect”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “intend”, “estimate”,
“predict”, “potential”, “continue” or the negative of theses terms or other
similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts.
Forward-looking
information, by its nature necessarily involves risks and uncertainties
including, without limitation, the difficulty of predicting regulatory
approvals, the timing and conditions precedent to obtaining any regulatory
approval, market acceptance and demand for new products, the availability
of
appropriate genetic content and other materials required for the Company’s
products, the Company’s ability to manufacture its products on a large scale,
the protection of intellectual property connected with genetic content, the
impact of competitive products, currency fluctuations, risks associated with
the
Company’s manufacturing facility, the risk that final court approval for the
arrangement transaction with Luminex will not be obtained or the arrangement
transaction will not close and any other similar or related risks and
uncertainties. Additional risks and uncertainties affecting the Company can
be
found in the Company’s 2005 Annual Report, available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com
and in the Company's Form 20-F, as amended, filed with the U.S. Securities
and
Exchange Commission and available at www.sec.gov If any of these risks or
uncertainties were to materialize, or if the factors and assumptions underlying
the forward-looking information were to prove incorrect, actual results could
vary materially from those that are expressed or implied by the forward-looking
information contained herein. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation
to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of
new
information, future events or otherwise.
INVESTOR
RELATIONS CONTACT:
James
Smith
The
Equicom Group
Tel.:
416-815-0700
Email:
jsmith@equicomgroup.com