AACR Data Highlights Target Now(tm) as Key Molecular Profiling Tool in Extending...

AACR Data Highlights Target Now(tm) as Key Molecular Profiling Tool in Extending
Cancer Patients' Survival

IRVING, Texas and PHOENIX, April 20, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clinical study
results released today at the 100th Annual Meeting of the American Association
for Cancer Research (AACR) in Denver, CO, indicated that the molecular profiling
of patients through the Caris Diagnostics' (Caris Dx) Target Now(tm) molecular
profiling analysis identifies individual genetic profiles that often drive more
informed and effective personalized treatment options. The findings provide
early validation for the application of therapy selection through molecular
profiling, resulting in improved patient care and enhanced outcomes.

The research trial was funded through the Scottsdale Healthcare Foundation with
a grant from the The Stardust Foundation and led by Dr. Daniel Von Hoff M.D.,
Senior Investigator and Chief Scientific Officer of TGen Clinical Research
Services (TCRS) at Scottsdale Healthcare and consultant for the Tissue Banking
and Analysis Center (TBAC), a research subsidiary of Caris Dx. TCRS is a
partnership between TGen and Scottsdale Healthcare that is administered by the
Scottsdale Clinical Research Institute (SCRI) at Scottsdale Healthcare Shea
Medical Center.

Von Hoff and his clinical colleagues utilized Target Now(tm) to profile patients
with late-stage cancer. All patients in the study had previously experienced
growth of their tumors while undergoing anywhere from two to thirteen previous
cancer treatments, including standard guideline chemotherapies.

David D. Halbert, Chairman and CEO of Caris Dx, commented, "We were honored to
work with Scottsdale Healthcare and TGen in this important clinical trial, and
pleased that Target Now played an instrumental role in identifying the
biological markers that drove more targeted therapeutic options and improved
outcomes. The collaborative effort highlights the very real potential of
personalized medicine, as the targeted treatment options derived from Target
Now's molecular data resulted in a number of patients experiencing significant
periods of time when there was no progression of their disease and, in some
cases, diminished tumor size.

"Going forward, we are committing extraordinary resources to biomarker
development and evaluation. As this database grows over time so, too, will
Target Now's ability to yield molecular and genetic data that growing numbers of
physicians and patients can utilize to select more efficacious, targeted
treatment options that improve outcomes and lower payer costs."

Dr. Von Hoff added, "This clinical trial provided early evidence of the clinical
value of personalized medicine, as the type of drugs, dosages, their delivery
and other treatment aspects were based on each patient's individual medical
needs. By identifying the unique molecular markers that drive therapy options in
the trial, Target Now played a key role in the trial's success and I am
optimistic about its applicability going forward as levels of evidence continue
to evolve."

Clinical Trial Results and Target Now Overview

Patients in this study experienced varying levels of improvement. Specifically,
among patients with breast cancer, the period of progression-free survival
increased for 44 percent of patients; for colorectal the improvement was seen
for 38 percent of patients; for ovarian the improvement was seen in 20 percent
of patients; and for miscellaneous cancers the improvement was seen in 16
percent of patients.

These results are just the first in a series of studies in further support of
Target Now, a commercially available oncology testing service, offered
exclusively through Caris Dx. Target Now utilizes cutting-edge molecular
profiling techniques, including DNA microarray, immunohistochemical (IHC)
analysis, fluorescent in-situ hybridization (FISH) and DNA sequencing to provide
individualized molecular information about a patient's tumor as an aid to the
treating oncologist.

Dr. David Loesch, M.D., Director of Oncology, Clinical Trials & Services for
Caris Dx, commented, "These clinical trial results are exciting, because they
prove how useful this molecular information is in helping physicians select
potential treatment regimens for cancer patients with resistant cancer. Target
Now is designed with one goal in mind: to get more information into the
oncologists' hands so they can continue to provide the best management for their
patients."

The engine behind the Target Now program is a robust evidence-based literature
review process driven by a Caris Biomarker Review Team. The systematic and
dynamic nature of the process ensures that only the most relevant and
appropriate biomarkers are introduced into Target Now and appropriately
analyzed, while continuously evolving Target Now with the latest biomarker
research. In essence, the selection of tests is customized to each patient's
specific needs and clinical situation.

Furthermore, Caris Dx is in the process of developing a Target Now patient
registry. The registry captures the experiences and results of molecularly
targeted therapy in the community and makes it available to treating oncologists
so that future therapy strategies can be improved. Caris anticipates this
patient registry will also serve as a vehicle for their physicians to data-mine
and develop prospective clinically relevant research publications and posters.

The Target Now testing service is available exclusively from Caris Dx at
www.carisdx.com or www.targetnow.com.

About Caris Diagnostics

Caris Diagnostics (Caris Dx) is a leading provider of the highest quality
diagnostic, translational development and pharmaceutical services encompassing
anatomic pathology and proprietary molecular testing. Caris Diagnostics provides
world-class pathology services to physicians who treat patients in the community
setting. The company provides academic-caliber medical consults through its
industry-leading team of subspecialty fellowship and expert-trained pathologists
in gastrointestinal and liver pathology, dermatopathology and hematopathology.
Caris Diagnostics provides the highest levels of service to its customers and
their patients through its state-of-the-art laboratories; proprietary, advanced
clinical and technology solutions; and rigorous quality assurance programs. The
company also offers advanced molecular analyses of patient samples through
prognostic testing services and genomic and proteomic profiling to provide
critical information to physicians treating cancer and other complex diseases.
In addition, Caris MPI supports pharmaceutical companies and other researchers
in their clinical trials for targeted therapeutics with custom genomic and
proteomic analyses, analyte preservation, tissue procurement and comprehensive
reporting services. The company has strategic relationships with the
International Genomics Consortium, US Oncology, the Translational Genomics
Research Institute, and the Biodesign Institute of Arizona State University.
More than 2,000 physicians nationally use Caris Diagnostics. Formed in 1996, the
company is headquartered in Irving, Texas and operates four laboratories:
Irving, Texas; Phoenix, Arizona (2 sites); Newton, Massachusetts. Additional
information is available at www.carisdx.com.

About TGen

The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a non-profit
organization dedicated to conducting groundbreaking research with life changing
results. Research at TGen is focused on helping patients with diseases such as
cancer, neurological disorders and diabetes. TGen is on the cutting edge of
translational research where investigators are able to unravel the genetic
components of common and complex diseases. Working with collaborators in the
scientific and medical communities, TGen believes it can make a substantial
contribution to the efficiency and effectiveness of the translational process.

About Scottsdale Healthcare

Scottsdale Healthcare is the not-for-profit parent organization of the
Scottsdale Healthcare Shea, Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn and Scottsdale
Healthcare Thompson Peak hospitals, Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center, Scottsdale
Clinical Research Institute, TGen Clinical Research Services at Scottsdale
Healthcare and Scottsdale Healthcare Foundation. Scottsdale Healthcare is a
primary clinical research site for TGen. TCRS at Scottsdale Healthcare is housed
in the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare, located at the
Scottsdale Healthcare Shea Medical Campus. For additional information, visit
www.shc.org.

About Scottsdale Clinical Research Institute (SCRI)

SCRI, established in 2005, provides infrastructure and support for the clinical
research at Scottsdale Healthcare. Start-up funding for SCRI was provided by a
lead gift of $4.5 million from the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust in 2005.
An additional $5 million was provided by the Stardust Foundation to support this
multi-site molecular profiling study of targeted therapies for treatment
refractory cancers coordinated by SCRI. A defining feature of SCRI is a focus on
genomics and personalized medicine as well as clinical and translational
research. The basic science arm of SCRI is provided by a partnership with the
Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen). Innovations from TGen's
laboratory are taken to the bedside at SHC by our joint clinical research
program, TGen Clinical Research Services (TCRS) at Scottsdale Healthcare.
Additional research collaborations include the University of Arizona, Arizona
State University, other local health care delivery systems and participation in
the Arizona NIH Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) program
initiative. Areas of study at SCRI include Cancer, Cardiovascular, Trauma,
Metabolic and Nanomedicine.

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CONTACT: Caris Diagnostics
Michael Guidotti, Senior VP of Product Development
(214) 596-2282
mguidotti@carisdx.com

TGen
Steve Yozwiak, Senior Science Writer
(602) 343-8704

Scottsdale Healthcare
Keith Jones, Public Relations Director
(480) 882-4412