Warnex Obtains Licence From Xenomics for Acute Myeloid Leukemia Test

Warnex Inc. today announced that its Medical Laboratories division has obtained a licence from Xenomics, Inc. to offer NPM1 testing in Canada as a laboratory service for the diagnosis, stratification and monitoring of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

"We are pleased to add this test to our growing portfolio of specialized molecular diagnostic tests in our Medical Laboratories division," said Mark Busgang, President and CEO of Warnex. "This test offers an accurate method to help diagnose patients with AML and we are proud to contribute to improving healthcare available to Canadians for such a serious illness."

AML is an aggressive form of cancer that begins in cells that normally develop into blood cells. The disease causes the rapid proliferation of abnormal cells, which accumulate in the bone marrow and interfere with the production of normal blood cells. According to the Canadian Cancer Society, there were 924 new cases of AML in Canada in 2003 and 701 deaths.

While some types of AML respond well to treatment, other types have a less favourable outlook. It is therefore imperative that the detection and diagnosis of AML be made early and the type be determined quickly to permit initiation of the most effective therapy. A recent discovery showed that many AML patients have mutations in the NPM1 gene. Testing for the presence or absence of the NPM1 mutation contributes to improving the diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring of the disease. This test can therefore help physicians select patients with a good prognosis of benefiting from intensive chemotherapy, while sparing others with a low probability of benefit from the toxic treatment. The NPM1 test may also be used to monitor AML patients for residual disease during chemotherapy. Stratification of AML patients is also necessary for anti-AML drug clinical trials.