Cernostics Collaborates with Prestigious Academic Medical Center in The Netherlands

PITTSBURGH, Jan. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/-- Cernostics, a diagnostics company focused on delivering next generation cancer diagnostics through a unique approach to tissue analysis, announced today that it is collaborating with the Academic Medical Center in The Netherlands (AMC).  As part of the collaboration, AMC will be providing Cernostics with access to one of the largest Barrett's Esophagus patient registries in the world, which Cernostics will use, along with other data, to complete clinical validation studies of its lead product TissueCypher: Barrett's.

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Under the leadership of Dr. Jacques Bergman, the AMC has developed one of the leading research positions in the world concerning endoscopic treatment and detection of Barrett's Esophagus and esophageal cancer. Dr. Bergman and colleagues at AMC have developed one of the largest Barrett's Esophagus registries in the world, and have thus far identified 5,000 patients from 16 hospitals in the Amsterdam region.

"Over the last 25 years we have seen a tremendous increase in the incidence of esophageal cancer due to chronic reflux and barrett's esophagus," said Dr. Jacques Bergman, Director of Endoscopy, Professor of Gastroenterology Endoscopy, and Head of Esophageal Research at Academic Medical Center.  "We are very pleased to be working with Cernostics to improve how physicians identify which Barrett's patients are at risk for developing esophageal cancer and believe the TissueCypher technology platform could be a major medical breakthrough in how we manage Barrett's patients in the future."

Cernostics' lead product under development, TissueCypher: Barrett's, uses whole slide digital imaging technology to produce comprehensive risk prediction for the development of esophageal cancer in patients with Barrett's Esophagus.  TissueCypher: Barrett's will focus on eliminating uncertainty related to the treatment of Barrett's Esophagus and will provide actionable information to doctors and patients.

"We are honored to be working with Dr. Bergman and the AMC," said Mike Hoerres, Chief Executive Officer of Cernostics.  "Both of our organizations are passionate about preventing esophageal cancer through improved diagnosis and prognosis of Barrett's Esophagus. AMC's impressive patient registry and thought leadership will play a critical role in the development of TissueCypher: Barrett's."

The Cernostics clinical collaborative network also includes Geisinger Health System, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Pennsylvania. To learn more about Cernostics and its product pipeline, please visit www.cernostics.com.

About Cernostics
Cernostics is focused on delivering next generation cancer diagnostics and prognostics through an innovative approach to tissue analysis – the evaluation of the tumor as a system composed of multiple interacting cell types, including tumor, immune, and stromal cells.  Its patent-protected technology platform, TissueCypher, uniquely analyzes whole slide digital images with multiplexed fluorescence, and is designed to provide greater information and accuracy than traditional tissue diagnostics.  Cernostics' lead product, TissueCypher: Barrett's, will deliver the most comprehensive evaluation of esophageal cancer risk for Barrett's Esophagus patients currently available, providing actionable information to gastroenterologists and pathologists.  For more information, visit www.cernostics.com.

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SOURCE Cernostics