DiamiR Announces Grant From The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research to Advance Assessment of Brain-Enriched microRNA Biomarkers in Plasma

MONMOUTH JUNCTION, NJ--(Marketwired - July 14, 2014) - DiamiR, LLC, a molecular diagnostics company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative tests for detection and monitoring of neurodegenerative diseases and cancer, announced today the award of a grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF). The grant will support a validation study of brain-enriched microRNA biomarker pairs for detection of Parkinson's disease using plasma samples of Parkinson's patients and age-matched controls from the BioFIND clinical study, sponsored by MJFF and supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Further information can be found at: https://www.michaeljfox.org/foundation/grant-detail.php?grant_id=1347

DiamiR's studies conducted to date have demonstrated that patients with Parkinson's disease can be differentiated from age-matched controls and patients with other neurodegenerative diseases, such as mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease, with up to 90%-100% accuracy. DiamiR has developed a platform technology for early detection of neurodegenerative diseases based on analysis of brain-enriched microRNA signatures in the blood. The biomarker candidates are pre-selected based on their enrichment in brain regions affected by the pathology, e.g. in midbrain and hippocampus for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, respectively.

"There is a great need for accurate, cost-effective, noninvasive diagnostics of Parkinson's disease," said Dr. Kira Sheinerman, CEO of DiamiR. "Early disease detection could lead to more efficient enrollment into clinical trials and enable effective treatment as well as better planning by patients and caregivers. DiamiR's team is grateful for the support of The Michael J Fox Foundation in this pursuit."

About microRNAs as biomarkers of brain health

microRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of non-coding functional RNA molecules modulating target gene expression and protein production. Many miRNAs are enriched in certain organs (e.g. brain), tissues or organ regions (e.g. hippocampus, midbrain), cell types (e.g. neurons), and cellular compartments (e.g. synapses and neurites). Due to their small size (~22 nucleotides), miRNAs can cross the blood-brain barrier and appear in the bloodstream. These properties of brain-enriched miRNAs make them powerful and patient friendly biomarkers of brain health.

About DiamiR, LLC

DiamiR, LLC is a privately held molecular diagnostic company focused on developing noninvasive tests for early detection and monitoring of Mild Cognitive Impairment, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, other neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. The proprietary technology is based on quantitative analysis of circulating organ-enriched miRNAs in plasma and can be used for screening, patient stratification as well as disease and treatment monitoring. For more information, please visit the company's website at www.diamirbio.com.

Please Note: This news release contains forward-looking statements regarding future events. These statements are just predictions and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual events or results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include, among others: the results, timing, costs and regulatory review of our studies and clinical trials; the results of studies of our product candidates conducted by others; our ability to obtain future funding on acceptable terms; our ability to obtain regulatory approval of our product candidates; the possible impairment of, or inability to obtain, intellectual property rights; and innovation by our competitors.