Amorfix to provide ALS diagnostic update at the MND/ALS 24th International Symposium

TSX: AMF

TORONTO, July 17, 2013 /CNW/ - Amorfix Life Sciences, a product development company focused on diagnostics and therapeutics for misfolded protein diseases, today announced that Dr. Neil Cashman, Amorfix Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer, will be presenting an update of the Company's ALS diagnostic assay at the 24^th International Symposium on MND/ALS being held in Milan, Italy December 6-8, 2013.

"This international conference represents an excellent forum for Amorfix to highlight recent progress on our ground-breaking, simple blood test for the early diagnosis of ALS", said Dr. Robert Gundel, Amorfix President and Chief Executive Officer.  The International Symposium on MND/ALS is the largest medical and scientific conference on motor neuron disease and is attended by more than 800 delegates from academia and the pharmaceutical industry.  Dr. Cashman will provide an overview of the Company's novel diagnostic blood test that measures levels of misfolded superoxide dismutase 1 (mSOD1) in the plasma of ALS patients.  Preliminary data have shown that mSOD1 is present and measurable in the plasma of ALS patients but not detectable in normal subjects.  The Company is using its proprietary antibodies and AMFIA™ technology to develop a simple and rapid blood test that will identify patients with early-stage disease.

ALS is a disease that is difficult to diagnose and treat.  At the present time, clinicians must rely on a combination of clinical findings and indirect testing to confirm a diagnosis of ALS, as there is no diagnostic test or biomarker at their disposal. The average survival time after diagnosis is 3 to 5 years, and there are very few treatment options available for patients once diagnosed with ALS.  The Company believes that the availability of a reliable blood test would represent an important advancement in the management of this devastating disease, allowing clinicians to diagnose the disease earlier and provide better treatment. The projected market for such a diagnostic test is approximately $250M/year. 

About ALS
ALS is a common neuromuscular disease, affecting an estimated 120,000 people of all races and ethnic backgrounds worldwide. According to the ALS Association, more than 5,600 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with ALS annually and an estimated 30,000 Americans have ALS at any given time.

About Amorfix
Amorfix Life Sciences Ltd. (TSX:AMF) is an early-stage product development company developing therapeutic antibodies and diagnostics targeting misfolded protein diseases. Amorfix utilizes its computational discovery platform, ProMIS™, to predict novel Disease Specific Epitopes (DSEs) on the molecular surface of misfolded proteins. Using this technology, Amorfix is developing novel antibody therapeutics and companion diagnostics for cancer and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In addition, Amorfix has developed two proprietary technologies to specifically identify very low levels of misfolded proteins in a biological sample: Epitope Protection™ and AMFIA™, an ultra-sensitive dual-bead immunoassay. Use of these technologies has generated a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) screening test for both Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and an ultrasensitive method for detecting the hallmark of AD, aggregated beta-Amyloid, in brain tissue, CSF and blood from animal models of AD. For more information about Amorfix, visit www.amorfix.com.

The TSX has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This information release may contain certain forward-looking information. Such information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by statements herein, and therefore these statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. All forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to it as well as other factors.  Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Due to risks and uncertainties, including the risks and uncertainties identified by the Company in its public securities filings, actual events may differ materially from current expectations. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE: Amorfix Life Sciences Ltd.