INFORM GENOMICS and TESARO Enter Into Collaboratio

Boston, MA, Oct. 15, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Inform Genomics, Inc. , a private company focused on developing novel platforms of genomic-based, personalized medicine products for cancer supportive care, has entered into a  collaboration agreement with TESARO, Inc. (Nasdaq: TSRO).  Under the collaboration, TESARO will utilize Inform Genomics' unique bioinformatics and genomic platforms to evaluate the risk of chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in patients who receive certain moderately emetogenic chemotherapy (MEC) regimens and standard antiemetic therapy (without an NK-1 receptor antagonist).

"We believe this collaboration with TESARO illustrates the value that our novel platforms of genomic-based personalized medicine products can provide to biopharmaceutical developers and manufacturers," said Ed Rubenstein , MD, President and CEO of Inform Genomics. "Symptom science is heading in the same direction as the rest of oncology through the sophisticated use of bioinformatics, Bayesian techniques and genomics to improve drug development and patient care."

The OnPART™ Development Program

The recently completed first phase of development for OnPART™ was conducted as a single center study at The West Clinic in Memphis, Tennessee. The study included 384 patients with breast, colorectal, lung and ovarian cancer that were treated with standard chemotherapy regimens including dose-dense doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide and paclitaxel for breast cancer; 5-fluoururacil and oxaliplatin based regimens for colorectal cancer; and carboplatin plus paclitaxel based regimens for lung and ovarian cancer. Patients were followed for a minimum of three cycles of chemotherapy and reported symptoms using a validated questionnaire, the Patient Care Monitor®.  Saliva was collected with an FDA approved kit for DNA collection which, when analyzed, can detect 2.5 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) per patient.

Using algorithms based on Bayesian methodological programming, predictive SNP networks were discovered for each of 6 chemotherapy-induced side effects with accuracies greater than 90%.

About OnPART™

OnPART™, On cology P references A nd R isk of T oxicity, is Inform Genomics' lead platform personalized medicine product for treatment decisions in patients who will receive chemotherapy for breast, colorectal, lung, or ovarian cancer. Based upon response rates and survival, more than one chemotherapy regimen may be considered appropriate care for patients with these common solid tumors, yet the regimens vary widely in their side-effect profiles.  OnPART™ is being developed to assess genomic risk for 6 common and often debilitating therapy-related side-effects, including diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, oral mucositis, fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, and peripheral neuropathy. The product includes a differentiating factor in personalized medicine, quantifying patient concerns for side-effects, using a validated, copyrighted patient questionnaire (Preference Assessment Inventory ^© ). When commercially available, OnPART™ is expected to provide actionable information for providers, patients, and payers that will customize cancer care and improve outcomes.

About Cancer Supportive Care

Most patients with cancer receive supportive care as part of their multimodal anti-cancer therapy, regardless of cancer diagnosis, stage of disease, or treatment modality. Common side effects associated with cancer or its treatments include oral mucositis, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, and peripheral neuropathy. Some of these conditions are manageable with commercially available medications, while others are the focus of current drug development programs. These side effects are costly for payers, create inefficiencies' for oncology practices, may interfere with ongoing anti-cancer treatment, impair patient functioning, negatively impact the patients' quality of life, and may even increase the risk of mortality.

About Inform Genomics

Inform Genomics, Inc. is a private company focused on developing novel platforms of genomic-based personalized medicine products for cancer supportive care. The company's business model leverages existing technology in conjunction with proprietary analytic methods to identify interactions of genes and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that predict individual patient's risk for developing common side effects from chemotherapy regimens. The US market opportunity for these differentiated products exceeds $1 billion annually. Inform Genomics is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.

Ed Rubenstein