BioServe and Fox Chase Cancer Center Form Strategic Alliance to Accelerate Biomarker and Genetic Discovery

BELTSVILLE, MD and PHILADELPHIA, PA--(Marketwire - January 26, 2010) - BioServe and Fox Chase Cancer Center today announced the formation of an exclusive strategic alliance aimed at easing a bottleneck in oncology research programs. Through this agreement, BioServe will supplement biomaterial from its Global Repository with samples from the prestigious Fox Chase Cancer Center, giving researchers access to an even larger and more dynamic repository of clinical-grade biospecimens.

A shortage of clinical quality biomaterials in cancer, sufficient to power large-scale genetic and biomarker studies, has created this bottleneck in biotech research.

"BioServe's alliance with Fox Chase creates an opportunity to accelerate discoveries in oncology, the most robust and largest segment of pre-clinical biomarker and drug development programs," said Rama Modali, President of BioServe. "The scope and sustainability of specimens collected by Fox Chase is as unique as it is impressive, covering nearly every major solid tumor type."

Internationally renowned for cancer research and treatment, Fox Chase also serves as the center of a comprehensive patient care network covering the densely populated three-state region surrounding Philadelphia. As a result, tissue and blood specimens collected for the repository can trace each anonymized patient's pathway from pre-diagnosis to treatment and through long-term follow up care. Fox Chase specimens collected at each stage are supported by annotations that include medical histories, detailed records of treatment protocols as well as outcomes.

"Our biosamples have tremendous clinical value, and getting them into the hands of as many cancer researchers as possible is a priority for us," said Jeff Boyd, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer and Senior Vice President at Fox Chase Cancer Center. "We know that making our biosamples available to the wider scientific community will accelerate the pace of cancer research. With this goal in mind, partnering with BioServe makes a lot of sense for us."

As a leader in biomaterial collection and distribution, BioServe is substantively engaged with cancer research being conducted by pharma, biotech and leading academic research institutions worldwide.

BioServe's alliance with Fox Chase for distribution of biospecimens spans 2 years, assuring a stable and renewable source of biosamples for ongoing and concurrent research programs.

"This is not a static repository," added Modali. "There is a capability to fulfill standing requests for specimens, as well as a flexibility to meet emerging needs as research programs define targets or pursue promising new directions."

About Fox Chase Cancer Center

Fox Chase Cancer Center is one of the leading cancer research and treatments centers in the United States. Founded in 1904 in Philadelphia as one of the nation's first cancer hospitals, Fox Chase was also among the first institutions to be designated a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center in 1974. Fox Chase researchers have won the highest awards in their fields, including two Nobel Prizes. Fox Chase physicians are also routinely recognized in national rankings, and the Center's nursing program has received the Magnet status for excellence three consecutive times. Today, Fox Chase conducts a broad array of nationally competitive basic, translational, and clinical research, with special programs in cancer prevention, detection, survivorship, and community outreach.

About BioServe

BioServe provides a comprehensive 'biomaterial to validated data' genomics services platform, helping researchers gain the pre-clinical data for breakthroughs in drug discovery, molecular diagnostics and pharmacogenomics. Utilizing BioServe's genomics services platform, researchers can identify genetic markers, validate drug targets and correlate clinical data with molecular data to accelerate the development of new and safer drugs. BioServe's services extend from nucleic acids processing, DNA synthesis, high throughput genotyping, genome wide-scans and gene expression analyses to ready-made large epidemiologically sound case-control studies of inflammatory disorders, endocrine disorders, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, obesity and many cancers. BioServe's Global Repository® provides researchers with a library of 600,000 human DNA, tissue and serum samples linked to detailed clinical and demographic data from 140,000 consented and anonymized patients from four continents.

For more information please visit www.bioserve.com or call 301-470-3362.

Contact Information: Contact: Constantine Theodoropulos Base Pair Communications 617-816-4637