RICHMOND, British Columbia, Aug. 25, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BioCurex Inc. (OTCBB:BOCX) -- today announced that the Review Board for the 39th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Oncology and Biomarkers (ISOBM), has accepted two presentations on recent advances using BioCurex's novel Pepto-RECAFTM peptide technology. These presentations, taking place in Florence, Italy, will describe the discovery process for the peptide as well as the rationale for utilizing a synthetic peptide as a superior alternative to an antibody in commercial versions of the RECAF™ blood test for cancer.
A synthetic peptide is made by a chemical process controlled by an automated instrument in which the required amino acid sequence is programmed. Using a small molecule, a peptide based approach results in a "cleaner" product, with fewer opportunities for non-specific binding that can lower the accuracy of the test. This significantly increases precision to assays (tests) incorporating the new peptide. BioCurex has been able to effectively demonstrate the advantage of this approach by substituting Pepto-RECAFTM instead of a regular antibody in the OncoPet (canine) cancer test, where it has shown a highly significant reduction of artifacts such as false positives among dogs with benign diseases.
The Pepto-RECAFTM technology is not only superior to antibody-based technologies in this particular case, but importantly, it also adds almost 20 additional years to BioCurex's technology patent protection, which is an important consideration for potential strategic partners and putative licensees. Based on the extended patent protection, the cost reduction and the overall improvement in performance provided by this new technology, the Company hopes to attract the interest of large diagnostic companies present at this congress.
The title of the communications are:
AFP PEPTIDES THAT BIND TO THE AFP RECEPTOR (RECAF)
and
RECAF SERUM TEST USING AN AFP DERIVED PEPTIDE INSTEAD OF ANTIBODY.
The ISOBM is an international society dedicated to cancer and biomarkers (http://isobm.org).
About BioCurex, Inc.
BioCurex, Inc. is a biotechnology company that is developing products based on patented and proprietary technology in the area of cancer diagnostics. The technology identifies a universal cancer marker known as RECAF.
RECAF is a molecule that is present on cancer cells but not detected in significant levels on healthy cells or benign tumor cells. It is the receptor for alpha-fetoprotein and is classified as an oncofetal antigen due to its presence on both fetal and malignant tissues. This characteristic makes RECAF a more accurate indicator of cancer than most current tumor markers.
BioCurex is commercializing its technology through licensing arrangements with companies that develop and market diagnostic tests for the large automated clinical laboratory setting, through development and marketing of non-automated clinical laboratory tests, through development of rapid, point-of-care test formats, and through marketing of its OncoPet RECAF test for cancer in companion animals.
BioCurex has signed licensing agreements for its cancer detection blood tests with Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) and with Alere (NYSE:ALR), formerly Inverness Medical Innovations.
For further information on these agreements visit:
http://sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1092562/000100487808000117/sb2amnd4s1april08.txt.
For more information about the Company, please visit www.BioCurex.com.
For more information about OncoPet Diagnostics Inc., please visit: www.OncoPetDiagnostics.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
The Company has not authorized the release of this information in any form that contravenes the Communication Act and will not be responsible for unsolicited massive distribution of this material by e-mail or facsimile by unauthorized parties. Statements in this press release, which are not historical facts, are "forward-looking statements'' within the meaning given to that term in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company intends that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe harbors created thereby. Since these statements involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time, the Company's actual results could differ materially from expected results.