HistoRx Announces Launch of New Research Services: AQUAPrep™ and Access AQUA® Services Now Available

BRANFORD, Conn., May 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- HistoRx, Inc., announced today the launch of two new services for academic researchers interested in using AQUA® technology.  HistoRx's proprietary technology enables in situ analysis of biomarkers, including measurement of protein concentration with sub-cellular resolution in both whole tissue sections and tissue microarrays.  These highly quantitative, standardized and reproducible results take the guesswork out of IHC.

HistoRx provides AQUA analysis services for academic researchers interested in precise, accurate and reproducible protein expression quantification for their whole tissue or tissue microarray projects, giving researchers access to AQUA analysis without the cost of instrument purchase.  Academic scientists who want to use AQUA technology today have to buy a fluorescent digital microscopy system to acquire the images to be analyzed.  HistoRx recognizes that researchers often need high-quality data prior to the availability of funds for equipment purchase, such as proof-of-concept or grant support studies, and HistoRx wants to enable the expansion of AQUA technology's use into new areas.

"We've received several requests from universities to conduct one-time studies, or a short series of investigations, on their behalf for grant support," said Mark Gustavson, Assistant Director of Operations at HistoRx.  "AQUA analysis is a powerful tool and we want to ensure the widest possible access.  Providing the rigorous data to support development of new biological insights and clarify the benefits of a lab's eventual equipment purchase is in everyone's best interests."

In the Access AQUA® services program HistoRx will stain an investigator's slides, acquire digital fluorescent images, perform AQUA analysis, and provide the researcher with the images and the AQUA scores for the biomarkers of their choice.  This program is ideal for those conducting one or two experiments, or to demonstrate proof of concept for a grant application.

AQUAPrep™ services are tailored for those with several experiments in mind: the academic laboratory purchases a copy of AQUA software from HistoRx, HistoRx stains the slides, acquires digital fluorescent images, and sends the data files to the researcher for their own analysis using AQUA software.  This program enables researchers and their staff to become familiar with the use of the AQUAnalysis™ program prior to making an instrument investment.

AQUA technology is an automated, quantitative IHC testing method that enables measurement of protein biomarkers in tissue as an aid to a pathologist's diagnosis.  Such precise determination of first, the location within the tumor cell and second, the amount in each location is not possible with any other method, digital or otherwise.  AQUA analysis is used in cancer research by over twenty leading academic centers worldwide, is part of the clinical development plans for more than ten drug candidates from major pharma companies, and has been cited in more than 90 peer-reviewed publications.  The first use of AQUA technology in the clinical diagnostic setting occurred in 2010 with the launch by Genoptix Inc. (a subsidiary of Novartis) of diagnostic tests based on AQUA technology licensed from HistoRx. AQUA technology is currently available on the ScanScope FL™ from Aperio and will be available later this year on the Nuance™ and Vectra™ systems from Caliper Life Sciences.

About HistoRx, Inc.

HistoRx, Inc. is a leading developer of tissue-based diagnostic solutions to advance individualized patient care.  The company's products and services are based on proprietary analysis of tissue biomarkers using AQUA® technology.  AQUA® technology is the only platform capable of precisely measuring protein biomarker concentration with sub-cellular resolution in tissue sections, enabling fully objective, standardized, reproducible, and automated analysis to guide drug development and therapeutic decision-making.  HistoRx is commercializing a pipeline of proprietary diagnostic products targeting improved treatment decision-making and patient outcomes in cancer care.  For more information, please visit www.historx.com.

SOURCE HistoRx, Inc.