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IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
CONTACTS:
Brent
Larson,
Vice
President / CFO
614
822 2330
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January
26, 2010
Tim
Ryan,
The
Shoreham Group
212
242 7777
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NEOPROBE
COMPLETES RIGS ANTIBODY LICENSE AMENDMENTS
Neoprobe
Assumes Antibody Licensing Responsibility from Dow
DUBLIN, OHIO – January 26, 2010 --
Neoprobe Corporation (OTCBB: NEOP), a diversified developer of innovative
oncology surgical and diagnostic products, announced today that it has completed
a license amendment with The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW) for a variety of
antibodies used in its proprietary surgical oncology system called
radioimmunoguided surgery or RIGS®. The license amendment covers
antibodies that target a variety of cancers including colon, rectal, breast,
bladder, ovarian and endometrial. The antibodies were developed in the research
laboratories of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Dow. In addition,
Neoprobe and Dow have agreed that Neoprobe will assume direct responsibility for
the licensing agreements. Dow will be compensated for its contributions when
Neoprobe successfully introduces commercial products.
“The completion of the agreements for
the portfolio of antibodies with both NIH and Dow clarifies the development
rights for the RIGS technology,” said David Bupp, Neoprobe’s President and CEO.
“We commenced updated cell line development activities for the antibodies last
year and we are pleased with the results to date. Our clinical and
pharmaceutical development teams have been working on the clinical and
regulatory strategies for the program including the recently filed Phase 3 trial
design which has been submitted to FDA under the special protocol assessment
provisions,” concluded Mr. Bupp.
The most clinically evaluated RIGS
antibody is called RIGScan™ CR, which when combined with a
hand-held gamma radiation detection probe, provides surgeons with real-time
information used to locate tumor components not detectable by conventional
methods, and assists in the more thorough removal of the potentially cancerous
tissue. The RIGScan CR targeting agents are monoclonal antibodies labeled with a
radioactive isotope that emits low energy gamma rays. Before surgery, a cancer
patient is injected with the monoclonal antibody targeting agent, which
circulates throughout the patient’s body and binds specifically to cancer cell
components (cancer antigens). Concentrations of the targeting agent are then
located during surgery by the gamma detection device, which emits an audible
tone to direct the surgeon to tumor-involved tissue. Information on the
clinical history and current development status of RIGScan CR can be obtained
from Neoprobe’s recent press releases and filings with the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission.
About Neoprobe
Neoprobe is a biomedical company focused
on enhancing patient care and improving patient outcome by meeting the critical
intraoperative diagnostic information needs of physicians and therapeutic
treatment needs of patients. Neoprobe currently markets the neoprobe® GDS line of gamma detection systems
that are widely used by cancer surgeons. In addition, Neoprobe holds significant
interests in the development of related biomedical systems and
radiopharmaceutical agents including Lymphoseek® and RIGScan™ CR. Neoprobe’s subsidiary,
Cira Biosciences, Inc., is also advancing a patient-specific cellular therapy
technology platform called ACT.
Neoprobe’s strategy is
to deliver superior growth and shareholder return by maximizing its strong
position in gamma detection technologies and diversifying into new, synergistic
biomedical markets through continued investment and selective acquisitions.
www.neoprobe.com