DNAprint Genomics (DNAG)

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"This is the culmination of a project that was begun when the company was founded," stated DNAPrint President and Chief Executive Officer Richard Gabriel. "It has taken until now to validate the original findings, but validated they are. The Company has filed a patent to protect this process. We plan to bring to market a definitive test product to identify this genetic variant and to potentially prevent painful -- and in some cases, fatal -- side effects in thousands of patients who are taking a very common prescription drug."

DNAPrint's study of 750 patients who had taken either atorvastatin (Lipitor®) or simvastatin (Zocor®) showed that patients carrying one specific genetic marker were approximately 2.5 times more likely to experience mild to severe muscle pain (myalgia). The effect was most pronounced for atorvastatin and the study showed that approximately one half of the patients who were removed from atorvastatin therapy due to muscle symptoms possess this genetic marker, whereas in the general population (with and without cardiovascular disease) only approximately 15%-25% of people carry the marker. DNAPrint applied its technology for measuring population structure (e.g., ancestry) in order to prove that the finding in both the discovery and validation samples was genuine, and in so doing received praise from JPG reviewers. This observation indicates that the genetic marker may be related not only to response to statins but also to a possible relationship with higher cholesterol levels, according to the study.

"DNA Print Genomics was founded on the underlying genomic screening methods developed to more efficiently scan the genome for medically important genetic markers of drug responses," stated Dr. Frudakis. "The current findings are another example of the efficiency of the Company's methods."

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