Sequenom To Explore The Clinical Utility Of A Novel Liquid Biopsy Assay In Melanoma Patients In Collaboration With University Of Colorado Denver

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 19, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Sequenom, Inc. (NASDAQ: SQNM), a life sciences company committed to enabling healthier lives through the development of innovative products and services, today announced that it has entered into a clinical collaboration with the University of Colorado Denver, School of Medicine (CU School of Medicine). Under this collaboration, CU School of Medicine will explore the utility of Sequenom's research use only (RUO) liquid biopsy assay to determine whether ctDNA profiling can be used to monitor treatment response and relapse in melanoma patients.  This technology has the potential to overcome the challenges and limitations associated with current methods to monitor treatment response such as invasive biopsies and repeated imaging studies.

"In just the last few years, we have made significant progress in the treatment of melanoma patients in whom the disease has progressed beyond the skin to involve internal organs.  I believe that the ability to match patients to new treatment options and to monitor their response with a simple blood test will yield significant clinical benefit," said William Robinson, MD, PhD, Professor, Division of Medical Oncology, Rella and Monroe Rifkin Endowed Chair, University of Colorado School of Medicine. "We anticipate that the collaboration with Sequenom will allow us to closely monitor treatment response and the emergence of resistance mutations over time and make changes or adjustments in treatment much earlier than can be done currently."

Sequenom is currently developing an RUO assay with an initial focus on the detection and molecular profiling of late stage non-hematologic malignancies, where tissue biopsies are not available or too risky to obtain.  The assay will cover a breadth of cancer types by analyzing over 100 cancer-related genes that are associated with a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drug treatment, included in professional society guidelines, linked to targeted therapies currently in clinical trials, or part of well-documented cancer pathways.

"Liquid biopsy has many potential applications for a variety of cancers," said Daniel Grosu, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Sequenom.  "This is our first collaborative study focusing on melanoma, which expands the range of cancers and clinical care settings that we are exploring with this novel technology.  We are uniquely positioned to leverage our strong expertise in testing circulating cell-free DNA to move liquid biopsy from a research concept to routine clinical practice in oncology."

About University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine

The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus has one of the largest clinical and melanoma research programs in the US and is part of the University of Colorado NIH designated Cancer Center.

About Sequenom 

Sequenom, Inc. (NASDAQ: SQNM) is committed to enabling healthier lives through the development of innovative products and services.  The Company serves patients and physicians by providing early patient management information.  To learn how Sequenom is interpreting the genome to improve your life, visit www.sequenom.com.

About Sequenom Laboratories

Sequenom Laboratories™, a CAP-accredited and CLIA-certified molecular diagnostics laboratory, has developed a broad range of laboratory-developed tests, with a focus principally on prenatal care. Branded under the names HerediT® CF, HerediT® UNIVERSAL, VisibiliT™, MaterniT21® PLUS, MaterniT™ GENOME, and NextView™, these molecular genetic laboratory-developed tests provide early patient management information for obstetricians, geneticists, genetic counselors and maternal fetal medicine specialists. Sequenom Laboratories is changing the landscape in genetic diagnostics using proprietary cutting-edge technologies. Visit www.laboratories.sequenom.com and follow @SequenomLabs.

SEQUENOM®, Sequenom Laboratories™, HerediT® CF, HerediT® UNIVERSAL, VisibiliT™, MaterniT21® PLUS, MaterniT™ GENOME, and NextView™, are trademarks of Sequenom, Inc. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 including statements regarding the development of innovative products and services, the potential for the technology to overcome the challenges and limitations associated with current methods to monitor treatment response such as invasive biopsies and repeated imaging studies, the belief that the ability to match patients to new treatment options and to monitor their response with a simple blood test will yield significant clinical benefit, the anticipation that the collaboration will allow UC Denver to closely monitor treatment response and the emergence of resistance mutations over time and make changes or adjustments in treatment much earlier than can be done currently, the ability of the assay to cover a breadth of cancer types by analyzing over 100 cancer-related genes, whether liquid biopsy has many potential applications for a variety of cancers and Sequenom being uniquely positioned to leverage its expertise in testing circulating cell-free DNA to move liquid biopsy from a research concept to routine clinical practice in oncology. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.  Risks are described more fully in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including without limitation the Company's most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and other documents subsequently filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission.  All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made.  The Company undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.

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SOURCE Sequenom, Inc.