NeoGenomics And Definiens Enter Into Agreement To Develop Novel Assays For Clinical Trials & Clinical Testing

NeoGenomics, Inc., a leading provider of cancer-focused genetic testing services, and Definiens, the leader in Tissue Phenomics solutions from biomarker discovery to meaningful diagnostics, recently announced that they have expanded their alliance to develop and automate the analysis of new biomarker assays for clinical trials and routine clinical testing. Under the agreement, Definiens will provide automated quantitative biomarker solutions to support NeoGenomics’ immunohistochemistry services for both its Pharma Services customers and Clinical clients, helping to improve pathology interpretation, standardize the readout (analysis/scoring), and identify the signature for optimal biomarker cut point threshold.

NeoGenomics excels in providing custom developed Immunohistochemistry (IHC) assays to be used in clinical trials, companion diagnostics and clinical testing. Automated IHC workflows, quantification, and interpretation tools remove variability of pathology scoring criteria and will allow researchers and pathologists a higher level of analytical consistency to standardize biomarker analysis for global clinical trials and clinical testing.

Douglas VanOort, Chairman & CEO for NeoGenomics commented, “Continual innovation and automation of our testing services helps us provide increasingly more efficient and effective services for our clients. Our relationship with Definiens has allowed us to further automate some of our important immunohistochemistry services for clinical trials and for clinical testing, and we are looking forward to leveraging this relationship further. NeoGenomics is committed to being a leader in innovation, and to providing the most advanced and highest-quality testing services for all of our Pharmaceutical and Clinical clients.”

Thomas Heydler, CEO at Definiens said, “We are excited to further expand our long-lasting relationship with NeoGenomics by introducing cutting-edge solutions to the clinical trial services workflow and to further expand pathology automation used in routine clinical testing. Our products and services support the development of new assays for clinical trials to help answer the most relevant questions in drug development. Definiens’ unique solutions also play a key role in helping to make clinical decisions with interpretation of lab developed tests.”

Thomas Colarusso, VP Business Development and Strategy at Definiens adds, “We expect Definiens Tissue Phenomics solutions will provide strategic value and new insights for existing and novel esoteric biomarker tests that NeoGenomics will use in both routine clinical assays and in clinical trials.”

About NeoGenomics, Inc.
NeoGenomics, Inc. specializes in cancer genetics testing and information services. The Company provides one of the most comprehensive oncology-focused testing menus in the world for Physicians to help them diagnose and treat cancer. The Company’s Pharma Services division serves pharmaceutical clients in clinical trials and drug development.

Headquartered in Fort Myers, FL, NeoGenomics operates CLIA certified laboratories in Aliso Viejo, Fresno, Irvine, and West Sacramento, California; Tampa and Fort Myers, Florida; Houston, Texas and Nashville, Tennessee. NeoGenomics serves the needs of pathologists, oncologists, academic centers, hospital systems, integrated service delivery networks, and managed care organizations throughout the United States. For more information, visit www.neogenomics.com.

About Definiens
Definiens improves patient lives by unlocking the tissue phenome. In oncology, therapeutic strategies have shifted from a direct assault on cancer cells to recruiting the immune system for that purpose. Definiens’ mission is to accelerate breakthroughs for this approach by helping scientists leverage Tissue Phenomics to deepen understanding of disease biology and immune system mechanisms, to bring multi-omics data into a cancer-relevant context, and to facilitate the translation of new insights into novel therapies and treatment strategies. Definiens vision is to create unique patient profiles for an individualized standard of care, where patients experience fewer side effects and live longer.

Definiens' Tissue Phenomics approach was awarded the 2013 Frost and Sullivan Company of the Year Award for Global Tissue Diagnostics and Pathology Imaging. For more information, visit www.definiens.com.