PreMD Inc. - FDA Upholds Previous NSE Decision
August 18 2008 - 8:16AM
PR Newswire (US)
TORONTO, Aug. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Predictive medicine
company PreMD Inc. (TSX: PMD - News; Amex: PME - News) today
announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") has
upheld their decision regarding the company's not substantially
equivalent (NSE) letter it received in January 2008 in connection
with its pre-market submission to expand the indication for use of
its FDA cleared skin cholesterol test. In the ruling, the FDA
maintained that there are fundamental defects in both the study
design and data analysis. Throughout 2004 and 2005 PreMD sought and
received guidance from the FDA regarding the clinical trial design
and data required for an expanded indication for use of the PREVU*
Point-of-Care (POC) skin cholesterol test. PreMD executed the US
multi-site clinical trial entitled -"Increased Skin Cholesterol
Identifies Individuals at Increased Cardiovascular Risk: The
Predictor of Advanced Subclinical Atherosclerosis (PASA) Study."
The trial was led by pre-eminent Cardiologist, Dr. James Stein of
the University of Wisconsin, and was completed in early 2007. The
scientific results from the PASA trial were presented in the
American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions in 2007 and a
paper based on the data was published in the American Journal of
Cardiology in April 2008. The technology, which has over a dozen
peer-reviewed scientific publications and is both cleared for sale
in Canada and CE marked, was also licensed by AstraZeneca
Pharmaceuticals LP in July 2007 for potential marketing and
distribution in the United States. The company will be working with
its advisors and partners to examine its options. Additional
information regarding the status of FDA clearance efforts and other
business updates will be provided as information becomes available.
About PreMD's Skin Cholesterol Test PreMD's skin cholesterol test
non-invasively measures the amount of cholesterol that has
accumulated in the skin tissues, as opposed to blood. The test
takes 3 minutes to complete and there is no fasting or other
patient preparation required. Clinical studies have shown that as
cholesterol accumulates on artery walls it also accumulates in
other tissues, including the skin. About PreMD Inc. PreMD Inc. is a
leader in predictive medicine, dedicated to developing rapid,
non-invasive tests for the early detection of life-threatening
diseases. PreMD's cardiovascular products include a line of
non-invasive skin cholesterol tests. PreMD's other skin cholesterol
products include PREVU* LT, a skin cholesterol test designed for
use in the life insurance industry. The Company's cancer tests
include ColorectAlert(TM), LungAlert(TM) and a breast cancer test.
PreMD's head office is located in Toronto, Ontario and its research
and product development facility is at McMaster University in
Hamilton, Ontario. For more information about PreMD, please visit
http://www.premdinc.com/. This press release contains
forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and
unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause the Company's
actual results to differ materially from those in the
forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include,
among others, the success of a plan for regaining compliance with
certain continued listing standards of the American Stock Exchange,
successful development or marketing of the Company's products, the
competitiveness of the Company's products if successfully
commercialized, the lack of operating profit and availability of
funds and resources to pursue R&D projects, the successful and
timely completion of clinical studies, product liability, reliance
on third-party manufacturers, the ability of the Company to take
advantage of business opportunities, uncertainties related to the
regulatory process, and general changes in economic conditions. In
addition, while the Company routinely obtains patents for its
products and technology, the protection offered by the Company's
patents and patent applications may be challenged, invalidated or
circumvented by our competitors and there can be no guarantee of
our ability to obtain or maintain patent protection for our
products or product candidates. Investors should consult the
Company's quarterly and annual filings with the Canadian and U.S.
securities commissions for additional information on risks and
uncertainties relating to the forward-looking statements. Investors
are cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements.
PreMD is providing this information as of the date of this press
release and does not undertake any obligation to update any
forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a
result of new information, future events or otherwise. *Trademark
DATASOURCE: PreMD Inc. CONTACT: Ron Hosking, Vice President Finance
& CFO, Tel: (416) 222-3449, Email: ; Brent Norton, President
& CEO, Tel: (416) 222-3449, Email:
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