Allowed patent covers measurement of several tissue structure features for
high-throughput screening
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Sept. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
Biotechnology company Icoria, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: ICOR.OB) today
announced that it has received a Notice of Allowance from the U.S. Patent and
Trademark Office for a pending patent application related to the high
throughput measurement of blood vessels in a tissue sample. This recently
allowed patent application is a part of the portfolio of issued and pending
patents that Icoria purchased in 2004 in the acquisition of
TissueInformatics.Inc.
The allowed patent application, entitled "Methods for Quantitative
Analysis of Blood Vessel Structure," is drawn to cover the methods of
geometrical analysis that enable the automated measurement of several features
of images of tissue. These methods allow fast, repeatable and accurate
analysis of tissue samples. The proof-of-concept work underlying the
application involved a cardiovascular device study in an animal model of the
restenosis-like response of blood vessels injured by balloon angioplasty.
Possible applications for the technology include the cardiovascular device
market.
"Quantitative tissue analysis represents an important advance in
characterizing disease progression and, as in the proof-of-concept work here,
potential therapeutic outcomes," said Thomas Colatsky, Chief Scientific
Officer and Vice President of Research. "Our growing portfolio of patents
covering methods of quantitative tissue analysis not only supports our
internal capabilities in biomarker discovery, but may also represent a
potential licensing opportunity for companies requiring new ways of extracting
high content biological image data for clinical and preclinical research."
Icoria has four issued U.S. patents and thirteen U.S. and international
patent applications in its quantitative tissue analysis portfolio. The
company has a total of 70 pending U.S. patent applications, 42 pending
international patent applications, and 24 issued U.S. patents.
About Icoria
On September 20, 2005, Icoria announced that it had executed a merger
agreement with Clinical Data Inc. (Nasdaq: CLDA) whereby Clinical Data will
acquire Icoria in an all-stock transaction valued at up to $12.5 million. The
acquisition is expected to close late this year or in early 2006, pending
approval by Icoria's shareholders. More information on this transaction is
available at http://www.icoria.com. More information on Clinical Data is
available at http://www.clda.com.
Icoria, Inc. is a biotechnology company focused on the discovery of novel,
multi-parameter biomarkers using its unique multi-platform approach. Icoria
intends to use these future biomarkers internally to develop multi-analyte
diagnostics to define and grade pathology or disease state with a high level
of specificity and sensitivity, and use its technology to help collaborators
and customers develop better, safer drugs and diagnostics and to identify
targets, leads and drug/diagnostic combinations for liver injury, metabolic
disorders and cancer. Icoria's shares trade on the over the counter bulletin
board.
This press release contains forward-looking statements including, but not
limited to, Icoria's acquisition by Clinical Data, Inc., the Company's
expectations for its healthcare based business model and its biomarker
discovery platform. Such forward-looking statements are based on management's
current expectations and are subject to a number of risks, factors and
uncertainties that may cause actual results, events and performance to differ
materially from those referred to in the forward-looking statements. These
risks, factors and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, Icoria's
ability to identify biomarkers, early stage of development, history of net
losses, technological and product development uncertainties, reliance on
research collaborations, uncertainty of additional funding and ability to
protect its patents and proprietary rights. Certain of these and other risks
are identified in Icoria's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the period ended
June 30, 2005, March 31, 2005, as amended, and its Annual Report on Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2004, both as filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. The Company does not intend to update any of the
forward-looking statements after the date of this release to conform these
statements to actual results or to changes in our expectations, except as may
be required by law.
SOURCE Icoria, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.icoria.com
http://www.clda.com
CONTACT:
Media-Public Relations of Icoria, Inc.,
+1-919-425-2999
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