New Ovarian Cancer Test Now Available in Europe



    European women facing "the silent killer" now have access to a
    breakthrough test to identify their risk of ovarian cancer. Fujirebio
    Diagnostics, the industry leader in biomarker assays, announces that
    its HE4 test is now CE marked, a mandatory conformity mark on many
    products placed on the single market in the European Economic Area
    (EEA). Now available for sale throughout the European Union, the
    simple blood test measures for a substance known as HE4, which many
    studies have shown can be elevated in epithelial ovarian cancers. The
    test is intended to be used in conjunction with the CanAg CA 125 EIA
    or the Abbott ARCHITECT CA 125 II as an aid in estimating risk of
    epithelial ovarian cancer in women presenting with a pelvic mass prior
    to surgery.

    For many years CA 125 has been the gold standard for monitoring
    ovarian cancer; however, this test is limited in its sensitivity and
    specificity as well as its ability to detect all types of ovarian
    cancer, prompting researchers to seek out additional indicators or
    "biomarkers" to complement CA 125 that offer higher sensitivity and
    can be indicative of the disease.

    "The new HE4 test is a major step in the fight against ovarian
    cancer worldwide," said Dr. Olle Nilsson, vice president and chief
    scientific officer of Fujirebio Diagnostics. "The same data used to
    support the CE mark certification has been submitted to the U.S. Food
    and Drug Administration (FDA) and we hope to see availability of the
    test in the United States during 2008."

    With the HE4 test, risk for epithelial ovarian cancer is
    determined by using a mathematical algorithm that combines the HE4 and
    CA 125 values. The test is also intended to be used as an aid in
    monitoring response to therapy for patients with invasive epithelial
    ovarian cancer.

    Recently, the results of a study which looked at the ability of
    various combinations of seven different biomarkers all known to be
    expressed in ovarian cancer were published. The paper, which was
    published in February 2008 in the journal Gynecologic Oncology, showed
    that as a single biomarker, HE4 had the highest sensitivity for
    detecting ovarian cancer, especially Stage I disease, and that when CA
    125 and HE4 are combined they are a more accurate predictor of cancer
    than either alone. These findings, combined with the new CE mark,
    offer a positive step in the race for earlier detection and treatment.

    "This powerful combination increases the sensitivity for detecting
    a disease that is often difficult to diagnose because symptoms can be
    confusing for patients to recognize," said Lead Researcher Dr. Richard
    Moore, assistant professor of the Program for Women´s Oncology at
    Women and Infants´ Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island, USA. "Our
    research offers hope for a more effective way to manage and treat
    ovarian cancer as well as a possible screening tool for women in the
    earliest stages of the disease when it is most treatable."

    This is the first commercially available test which when used in
    combination with another test and a mathematical algorithm can
    estimate the risk of finding ovarian cancer upon surgery in women who
    present to their physician with a pelvic mass.

    Fujirebio Diagnostics has developed a manual test for HE4 and will
    be developing automated formats of the test for Fujirebio instruments.
    The HE4 test is awaiting clearance by the FDA and is not available for
    sale in the United States.

    About Fujirebio Diagnostics, Inc.

    Fujirebio Diagnostics, Inc. is a premier diagnostics company and
    the industry leader in biomarker assays. Fujirebio Diagnostics
    specializes in the clinical development, manufacturing and
    commercialization of in-vitro diagnostic products for the management
    of human disease states, with an emphasis in oncology. Fujirebio
    Diagnostics is one of the group companies of Miraca Holdings Inc. in
    Japan, set up in July 2005 to combine Fujirebio Inc., the leading
    in-vitro diagnostics company, and SRL, Inc., the top provider of
    clinical laboratory testing services in Japan. Fujirebio Diagnostics
    has a worldwide distribution network, which enables physicians and
    patients to access its diagnostic products. For more information about
    Fujirebio Diagnostics, please call 610-240-3800 or visit www.fdi.com.