The agreement puts in place a number of activities to help progress Metabolon’s Prostarix line of prostate cancer diagnostics including an exclusive license for Metabolon to use prostate cancer aggressitivity markers that were discovered in a collaborative research project between the University of Michigan and Metabolon.
This intellectual property will provide the company with a significant competitive advantage in the field of prostate cancer diagnosis and will serve as the basis for Prostarix-which is expected to be launched in late 2009.
The agreement also includes a sponsored research agreement with Arun Sreekumar, assistant professor of pathology at the University of Michigan, aimed at a deeper understanding into the role the biomarkers play in the onset of aggressiveness.
John Ryals, CEO of Metabolon, said: “Metabolon continues to work with researchers like those at the University of Michigan to develop easy-to-use diagnostic tools to better understand aggressiveness and metastatic potential of prostate cancer and to help doctors and patients make critical treatment decisions.”