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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – January 23, 2012 – Selventa™, a biomarker discovery company that enables personalized healthcare through stratification of patients based on disease-driving mechanisms, today announced that the U. S. Patent & Trademark Office has issued the Company U.S. Patent No 8,802,109, titled "Computer-aided Discovery of Biomarker Profiles in Complex Biological Systems." This patent, which was issued on December 20, 2011, relates to methods and techniques that facilitate discovery of biomarkers and thus aid in the development of predictive and prognostic diagnostic tests for therapeutics targeting complex multi-factorial diseases.

In particular, the patent describes a method of biomarker discovery using a model representative of one or more causative biophysical or biochemical relationships underlying a biological state in a biological system of interest.  A candidate set of biological data is then compared against the model to discern a candidate biomarker for the biological state.  A sample received from a patient can then be assayed for the presence of the candidate biomarkers to discern a biological state of the patient.

"Using the technique, biomarkers may be developed to predict efficacy or toxic effects of a drug. This may permit a researcher or physician to know, in advance, whether the presenting patient will benefit from or be harmed by administration of the drug," said David de Graaf, Ph.D., President and CEO of Selventa. "In addition, the patented technique facilitates the development of biomarkers as diagnostics for a disease, as a means of making treatment decisions or as a means of stratifying patients in a clinical trial. This will likely improve the success of clinical trials by screening for subjects that are more likely to benefit from the drug and avoiding those who are unlikely to respond."

About Selventa
Founded in 2002 and privately-held, Selventa collaborates with partners to match the optimal treatments for the right patients. The company analyzes molecular patient data to identify key disease-driving mechanisms and accelerates the development process to clarify therapeutic and diagnostic decisions through identification and development of biomarkers for patient stratification. Selventa engages in strategic relationships with leading pharmaceutical and life science companies including clinical research organizations, diagnostic companies and reference laboratories to enable personalized healthcare primarily in autoimmune diseases and oncology.  For more information, visit www.selventa.com.