November 10, 2008

Oragene® Selected by Coriell Institute for Medical Research to Collect Samples for Its Pioneering Personalized Medicine Study

Ottawa, Canada: DNA Genotek, a leading provider of DNA sample collection products, today announced the use of its Oragene®•DNA product to collect tens of thousands of DNA samples for the Coriell Institute for Medical Research's pioneering personalized medicine project. The Coriell Personalized Medicine Collaborative (CPMC) is a multi-year study that aims to allow individuals to benefit from advances in genome-informed medical practice by assessing individual risk factors to improve preventative care and medical treatments.

In addition, DNA Genotek announced today that it will co-host a seminar at the American Society for Human Genetics (ASHG) conference. ASHG attendees are invited to a Coriell open house on November 12th that will describe the Coriell biobanking initiatives, offer a tour of the facilities and demonstrate how Oragene•DNA is being used to facilitate DNA sample collection and processing.

Oragene•DNA is ideal for DNA sample collection and biobanking as it solves sample collection challenges inherent with traditional collection methods. Traditional methods are often too costly and invasive, or do not reliably provide enough high-quality DNA to enable health researchers to determine the underlying genetic causes of diseases like cancer, heart disease and diabetes. In contrast, Oragene•DNA offers easy and non-invasive self-collection of saliva samples from large numbers of individuals and delivers high quality DNA.

According to Coriell President and CEO, Michael F. Christman, Ph.D., initiatives like the CPMC will ultimately improve the effectiveness and lower the cost of medical care in the next five to ten years and for future generations.

"The CPMC aims to determine best practices for the implementation of personalized medicine. We want to understand the utility of using genome information in clinical decision-making," said Christman. "Coriell selected the Oragene®•DNA kit for sample collection for its ease-of-use and reliability in providing high-quality DNA samples. The ability to mail kits to individuals and to store the samples at room temperature until they are analyzed was also appealing."

The CPMC is projected to reach 10,000 participants in two to three years with a long-term goal of 100,000 enrollees in this volunteer-based research study. "The kits will help us maximize donor compliance and improve the overall efficiency of sample collection," added Christman.

"DNA Genotek is pleased that our products are helping the Coriell Institute reach their goals," said Ian Curry, CEO of DNA Genotek. "One of our company's primary objectives is to deliver high-quality products for researchers and clinicians all over the world who play an essential role in advancing scientific research and treatments for a wide variety of diseases. Initiatives such as the Coriell Personalized Medicine Collaborative are key to establishing the genetic knowledge to improve disease prevention, disease diagnostics and personalized treatment."

About DNA Genotek
DNA Genotek focuses on providing high-quality biological sample collection products. The company's lead product, the Oragene•DNA Self-Collection Kit, is the best way to collect and preserve high quality DNA samples from saliva. Oragene•DNA's reliability and ease-of-use have resulted in rapid adoption at top-tier health research institutions globally, including Harvard, Stanford, Cambridge, the Karolinska Institute and Johns Hopkins. DNA Genotek markets its products worldwide and has established a global customer base.

About Coriell Institute
The Coriell Institute for Medical Research is an internationally known, non-profit, biomedical research institution headquartered in Camden, NJ. Founded in 1953, the Institute conducts research on cancer, human genetic variation, mechanisms of cellular differentiation, and other genetic disorders. Coriell is the world's leading biobank resource for human cells and recently established a state of the art genotyping and microarray center. The Coriell Personalized Medicine Collaborative was initiated by Coriell's new President and CEO, Dr. Michael Christman, and is a major focus of the Institute. Visit coriell.org for more information.

Click here to read the Coriell Case Study (pdf)

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