Exiqon Diagnostics Announces KRAS Mutation Analysis for Predicting Therapeutic Response...

Exiqon Diagnostics Announces KRAS Mutation Analysis for Predicting Therapeutic
Response in Colorectal and Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients

VEDBAEK, Denmark, May 11, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Exiqon Diagnostics announced
today that it now offers KRAS Mutation Analysis through its CLIA laboratory in
California. Cancer treating physicians now have access to this critical test for
their advanced stage colorectal and non-small cell lung cancer patients who are
candidates for anti-EGFR therapy. In the United States, there are approximately
150,000 new colorectal cancer cases and over 200,000 lung cancer cases diagnosed
each year.(1) Many of these patients may present with advanced disease. In those
cases, confirmed KRAS mutation status is important information for physicians to
have when deciding on a treatment regimen that may contain EGFR-targeted
therapies. Published clinical studies demonstrate that KRAS gene mutations are
associated with poor prognosis and lack of response to EGFR inhibitor therapies.

Recent studies strongly correlate the presence of KRAS mutations in colorectal
cancer patients with lack of response to cetuximab and panitumumab, shorter
progression-free survival (PFS) and shorter overall survival. Studies performed
in NSCLC have shown that mutations in the KRAS gene are strongly predictive of
resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as gefitinib and eroltinib.

KRAS mutation testing is recommended by the National Comprehensive Cancer
Network (NCCN) before starting EGFR-targeted therapy in both metastatic
colorectal cancer and advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients.(2,3) The
American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) favors routine KRAS mutation
testing for patients diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer before
initiating anti-EGFR therapies.

"The ability to determine patient response to a particular therapy before it is
administered is critical to prioritizing from an ever increasing list of
potential treatment options," said Doug Harrington, M.D., Medical Director,
Exiqon Diagnostics. "KRAS Mutation Analysis is an important new diagnostic that
is now available to help physicians stratify their advanced stage colorectal or
non-small cell cancer patients as appropriate candidates for treatment with EGFR
inhibitors. Those patients who have the mutation would most likely not respond
to anti-EGFR drugs and should not be treated with those ineffective and
expensive agents."

KRAS Mutation Analysis is a welcome addition to the growing molecular
diagnostics test menu available at Exiqon Diagnostics. Additional targeted
molecular profiling assays are currently in development and will be launched
later this year to help physicians more effectively guide treatment decisions.
KRAS testing is just one of the many molecular biomarkers that will be available
to help physicians personalize therapeutic treatment plans.

To learn more about our KRAS Mutation Analysis, please
visitwww.exiqondiagnostics.com.

Laboratory testing performed by Oncotech, Inc. (dba Exiqon Diagnostics) a wholly
owned subsidiary of Exiqon A/S.

1. American Cancer Society: Cancer Facts and Figures 2008
2. NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology(tm) Colon cancer. v
2.2009. Available at: http://www.nccn.org
3. NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology(tm) Non-small cell
lung cancer. v 2.2009. Available at: http://www.nccn.org
About Exiqon:

Exiqon is a biotech company with activities in three business areas where the
company's technologies provide a competitive advantage: Sale of diagnostic tests
(Exiqon Diagnostics), sale of innovative research products for miRNA research
(Exiqon Life Sciences), and in contract research together with pharmaceutical
companies (Exiqon Pharma Services). Exiqon is dedicated to personalizing the
treatment selection for cancer patients. The aim is to optimize the use of
existing medicine and avoid unnecessary and non-effective treatment. By using
molecular diagnostic tests that analyze the genetic profile of each patient's
tumor, treatment selection can be optimized for individuals. Exiqon is uniquely
positioned to develop such new diagnostic tests. Exiqon already markets
diagnostic tests that based on fresh tumor tissue enable doctors to test whether
their patients are resistant to one or more of the chemotherapies offered to
treat these patients and help them select an efficacious treatment. Exiqon's new
molecular diagnostic products are based on the LNA(tm) technology that enables
testing on fixed tissue. Launch of the first molecular diagnostic product was
announced in December 2008. A number of new products will follow in the years
ahead. Using the LNA(tm) technology is what has allowed Exiqon to establish a
position for itself as one of the market's leading providers of research
products for gene expression analysis. These research products are used by
university scientists and in the pharmaceutical industry around the world to
make groundbreaking discoveries about the correlation between gene activity and
the development various diseases. Exiqon is also collaborating with
pharmaceutical companies in their effort to develop new medicines based on
biomarkers (Personalized Medicine). Exiqon has more than 200 employees and is
listed on the NASDAQ OMX in Copenhagen and categorized as a biotech company
(Small Cap+). Exiqon is financed until expected break even in 2011.

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CONTACT: Exiqon A/S
Lars Kongsbak, CEO
+45 45 66 08 88
cell: +45 40 90 21 01
R. Erik Holmlin, CCO
+1-714-566-0470
Exiqon Diagnostics Client Services
+1-800-662-6832