BEIJING, Nov. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- China Medical Technologies, Inc. (the "Company") (Nasdaq: CMED), a leading China-based medical device company that develops, manufactures and markets advanced in-vitro diagnostic products, today announced that it has successfully completed the development of two proprietary molecular diagnostic kits for the detection of epidermal growth factor receptor ("EGFR") abnormalities in patients with non-small cell lung cancer ("NSCLC"). The Company expects to offer the kits to its hospital customers through its direct sales force in January 2009.
Currently, Iressa and Tarceva are commonly used drugs for the treatment of patients with NSCLC. These drugs target the EGFR gene located at 7p12. According to publications in medical journals, EGFR abnormalities have been found in approximately 85% of NSCLC patients responsive to Iressa and Tarceva. Some of these abnormalities could be identified by using FISH-based technique to detect increase in gene copy numbers; others could be detected by using real-time PCR-based technique to analyze EGFR gene mutations. The Company has successfully completed the development of both FISH and real-time PCR-based molecular diagnostic kits for detecting EGFR abnormalities. The test result provides guidance for physicians to determine the most appropriate therapy for patients with NSCLC.
"We are excited about the successful development of molecular diagnostic kits for non-small cell lung cancer therapy," said Mr. Xiaodong Wu, Chairman and CEO of the Company. "We will continue to leverage our molecular diagnostic technology platforms to develop more products with significant market potential."
Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world and it is the leading cause of cancer death in China. It is estimated that more than 500,000 new lung cancer cases were diagnosed each year in China and the incidence rate of lung cancer is expected to continue to increase.
About China Medical Technologies, Inc.
China Medical Technologies is a leading China-based medical device company that develops, manufactures and markets advanced in-vitro diagnostic products using Enhanced Chemiluminescence (ECLIA) technology and Fluorescent in situ Hybridization (FISH) technology, to detect and monitor various diseases and disorders, and products using High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) for the treatment of solid cancers and benign tumors. For more information, please visit http://www.chinameditech.com .
For more information, please contact:
Winnie Yam
Tel: +86-10-6530-8833
Email: IR@chinameditech.com
