HTG Molecular Diagnostics Partners With John Wayne Cancer Institute to Commercialize Melanoma Signatures

TUCSON, AZ, Jun 01 (Marketwire) --
The John Wayne Cancer Institute (JWCI) at Saint John's Health Center in
Santa Monica, California selected HTG Molecular Diagnostics as an
exclusive commercialization partner for recently identified HTG melanoma
signature assays which may be useful for diagnostic and prognostic
applications along the melanoma continuum. HTG Molecular Diagnostics
developed research assays and analyzed over 400 annotated cases of
melanoma from benign nevus to metastatic disease resulting in several
promising signatures. These discoveries highlight the benefits of a
multi-year collaboration between HTG Molecular Diagnostics and JWCI. HTG
Molecular Diagnostics is determining its commercial strategy which may
include licensing the signatures to primary reference laboratories or
submissions to the FDA for appropriate product clearances or approvals.

The most impactful approach to reducing melanoma-related deaths is early
detection and treatment. In the U.S., the overall rate of melanoma
diagnosis is increasing faster than any other cancer, with recent
estimates for the lifetime risk of developing invasive melanoma at 1 in
49. The American Cancer Society estimates that nearly 10,000 people in
the U.S. will die from melanoma in 2012.

"This partnership will be the embodiment of the clinical application of
molecular gene expression to which HTG Molecular Diagnostics dedicates
our resources in our mission to improve patient care and ultimately help
save lives," said TJ Johnson, CEO of HTG Molecular Diagnostics.

Dave S. Hoon, M.Sc., Ph.D. Chief of Scientific Intelligence at the John
Wayne Cancer Institute, states, "HTG's unique advantages in working with
archival paraffin-embedded tissues enabled these novel discoveries and
this agreement is an exciting and critical next step in the process of
applying translational molecular oncology to the detection and treatment
of melanoma." JWCI's international clinical trial network is a unique
melanoma resource generating biospecimens and long-term annotated
clinical follow up data from greater than 7,000 patients with early or
advanced melanoma enrolled in JWCI-sponsored phase III clinical trials.

ABOUT HTG MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS:
HTG Molecular Diagnostics is a
privately held, Tucson-based company providing products for gene
expression profiling, miRNA, and mRNA measurement for clinical research,
companion diagnostic and prognostic applications in oncology. The
company's qNPA molecular technology platform is well suited for reliably
detecting changes in gene expression levels especially from
formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue. Additional information
is available at www.htgmolecular.com.

ABOUT JOHN WAYNE CANCER INSTITUTE:
John Wayne Cancer Institute at Saint
John's Health Center is a cancer research institute dedicated to the
understanding and curing of cancer in order to eliminate patient
suffering worldwide. Its mission is accomplished through innovative
clinical and laboratory research and the education of the next generation
of surgical oncologists and scientists. One of the largest melanoma
centers in the United States, the John Wayne Cancer Institute conducts
landmark research to identify new or recurring melanoma at its earliest
stages, predict and monitor the response to systemic treatments, and
develop active and passive immunotherapies for surgical and nonsurgical
patients. For more information, please visit www.jwci.org.

Media Contact:
Kimberly Schmitz
Spur Public Relations.
520.247.5778
Kimberly@SpurPublicRelations.com

Company Contact:
TJ Johnson
Chief Executive Officer
HTG Molecular Diagnostics
520.547.2827
tjjohnson@htgMolecular.com

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