NorDiag has developed a gene based test which identifies mutations in biopsy samples from the lunges. The Company has started a clinical study in two of Germany’s leading lung cancer hospitals to establish documentation for the test. The study includes 70 patients and will be concluded in Q4 07.

The new product will open a new market for NorDiag in tailored medicine. An illustration of this can be lung cancer patients with certain gene mutations responds well on some cytostatica compared with others. Detection of mutation of genes can contribute to “tailor” the treatment. This is a field under strong development.

- Lung cancer is the frequent cancer type, and among the cancer types with low survival rate, says professor Dagfinn Øgreid, clinical manager in NorDiag and responsible for the study. In Norway, there are appr. 2300 new cases of lung cancer per year. The similar figure on a global basis is more than a million new cases. Appr. 15 per cent of lung cancer patients are cured while the rest have an average time of living less than a year after diagnosis. – Mutation testing can play an important part in tailoring the medicine for this group of patients, says professor Øgreid.

- NorDiag’s portfolio in Cancer includes both colorectal cancer and lung cancer, both very common cancer types. This represents large market opportunities for the company, says CEO Mårten Wigstøl. The extension of the Company’s activities to a new type of cancer is based on previous acquired IP-rights.

Contact person: CEO Mårten Wigstøl, phone + 47 91165775

About NorDiag ASA
NorDiag is a biotechnology company with focus on genetic diagnostics in the fields of cancer and infectious diseases. The Company’s first product in cancer diagnosis is Genefec TM for diagnosis of colorectal cancer. The company has other applications for diagnosis of cancer under development, among others a screening product for colorectal cancer. In addition the company has a product for automated sample preparation of sexually transmitted diseases, as well as applications for other infectious diseases in the product pipeline. NorDiag is listed on Oslo Stock Exchange with the ticker NORD.