Trovagene Awarded NPM Patent

Trovagene, Inc.

, a developer of cell-free molecular diagnostics, announced the issuance of U.S. Patent 8,501,924, "Nucleophosmin protein (NPM) mutants, corresponding gene sequences and uses thereof." The patent pertains to nucleic acid sequences encoding NPM mutants and methods of detecting them for diagnosing acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and monitoring residual AML disease. This is the second issued U.S. patent directed to NPM mutants, and is part of a NPM-associated family of patents and applications for Trovagene. Previously, Trovagene announced issuance of U.S. Patent 8,222,370, the first patent to issue in the U.S. Additional claims directed to detecting NPM mutations are pending in the U.S. and abroad.       (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120620/LA28014LOGO) "While the NPM patent family is an asset that has value as an incremental revenue stream, Trovagene continues to develop its cell-free molecular diagnostic tests for cancer monitoring," states Antonius Schuh, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Trovagene.  "Currently, Trovagene has licensing programs with multiple organizations including Labcorp, Quest Labs, Genoptix, Duke University and others. We intend to continue to develop additional licensing relationships that can add supplemental value." The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (www.nccn.org), which sets clinical standards for cancer treatment, has included testing for NPM