GenomeDx and SouthGenetics Announce Strategic Agreement for Latin America Commercialization

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- GenomeDx Biosciences and SouthGenetics Inc. today announced that they have signed a strategic agreement to bring GenomeDx's Decipher® Prostate Cancer Classifier Tests to several Latin American countries, including Mexico, Argentina, Colombia and Uruguay. SouthGenetics has established itself as a leader in the introduction of new diagnostic techniques to the Latin America market. 

Under the terms of the agreement, SouthGenetics will have exclusive distribution rights to market and sell GenomeDx's Decipher Biopsy and Decipher Post-Op genomic tests for men diagnosed with localized prostate cancer in their markets. The tests are performed either at the time of biopsy or following prostate removal surgery and evaluate RNA expression-based biomarkers to predict the risk of high-grade disease, metastasis and cancer-specific death. The tests will be offered through SouthGenetics' commercial channel, with the testing performed by GenomeDx at its centralized, CAP-accredited, CLIA-certified laboratory in San Diego, California. GenomeDx will rely upon the expertise of SouthGenetics to obtain regulatory and reimbursement approvals.

"More than 130,000 men in Central and South America are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year.  We believe our Decipher tests will allow physicians throughout Latin America to more accurately assess tumor aggressiveness and stratify prostate cancer patients into more accurate risk groups, thereby helping to guide optimal treatment and care for their patients," said Doug Dolginow, M.D., chief executive officer of GenomeDx. "We are excited to expand our global footprint and look forward to collaborating with SouthGenetics to provide prostate cancer patients in Latin America with access to our genomic tests and the valuable insights they can offer."

"SouthGenetics strives to provide physicians and patients rapid access to highly complex genomic solutions," said Washington Rodriguez, chief executive officer of SouthGenetics. "As one of the premier providers of genomic solutions for urologic cancer management, we are excited to partner with GenomeDx, allowing us to expand our offerings in urologic oncology and enabling better personalization of therapy for patients."

About Decipher® Prostate Cancer Classifier Tests
Our Decipher Prostate Cancer Classifier tests currently include Decipher Biopsy and Decipher Post-Op. These commercially available genomic tests provide an assessment of tumor aggressiveness based on the patient's unique genomic profile. Decipher Biopsy is indicated for men with localized prostate cancer after biopsy diagnosis and Decipher Post-Op is indicated for men after prostate removal surgery. The Decipher tests are used by physicians to stratify patients into more accurate risk groups to better determine which patients will likely benefit from additional treatment and which will not, thereby enabling improved decision-making and helping low-risk patients avoid unnecessary treatments that have serious adverse side effects and result in unnecessary costs to the healthcare system. Studies of thousands of patients from leading cancer centers, published in multiple peer-reviewed journals, demonstrate that the Decipher tests can more accurately predict disease aggressiveness than traditional clinical measures, such as PSA and Gleason score. Decipher Post-Op is covered by Medicare and by a number of private payors and preferred provider organizations representing, together with Medicare, about 70% of the approximately 66 million adult men in the United States age 40 or older who are at increased risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer.

About Decipher GRID®
Our Decipher Genomics Resource Information Database (Decipher GRID) is a genomic expression database that provides a foundation for open and interactive research collaboration and knowledge creation. Decipher GRID is a rapidly growing database that contains genomic profiles of thousands of patient tumors, and constitutes what we believe to be the world's largest shared, clinically-annotated genomic expression database in urologic cancer as well as one of the world's largest global RNA expression databases utilizing cloud-based analytics. We believe Decipher GRID gives rise to new opportunities for information technology-enabled genomic solutions and enables us to more rapidly discover, develop, commercialize and drive the adoption of our existing and new genomic tests. Through Decipher GRID, GenomeDx is building a suite of genomic tests in urologic cancer that we believe will allow us to achieve our goals of reducing costs to the healthcare system and improving patient lives, from screening through late-stage therapy.    

About GenomeDx Biosciences
GenomeDx Biosciences uses the power of collaborative genomics to transform the management and treatment of cancer patients. GenomeDx has built Decipher GRID, a large genomics database in urologic cancer that provides a foundation for open and interactive research collaboration and knowledge creation. Using Decipher GRID to analyze vast amounts of genomic data, GenomeDx develops and commercializes proprietary clinical tests that are intended to provide more accurate and useful diagnostic information than both traditional diagnostic tools and existing genomic tests. GenomeDx's Decipher Biopsy and Decipher Post-Op are commercially available prostate cancer genomic tests that provide an assessment of tumor aggressiveness based on a patient's unique genomic profile. GenomeDx is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia and has offices in San Diego, California.

Learn more at www.GenomeDx.com

SOURCE GenomeDx Biosciences

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