PositiveID Corporation ("PositiveID" or the "Company”) (NASDAQ: PSID),
in conjunction with its development partner RECEPTORS LLC, ("Receptors”)
announced today that the companies have achieved a milestone in the
development of their in vivo glucose-sensing RFID microchip to
detect glucose levels in the body. The companies have completed the
synthesis of a new chemical building block that will serve as the anchor
of their next generation of Combinatorial Artificial Receptor (CARA™)
surfaces
for the sensing system component of the implantable
glucose sensor.
The Company is currently in Phase II development of its glucose-sensing
microchip. As previously announced, the goal of Phase II is to optimize
the sensing system for its glucose response in the presence of blood and
interstitial fluid matrix components and demonstrate the integration of
the components into a stable and reproducible glucose sensor.
Receptors' CARA Affinity by Design™ Discovery Platform enables the
discovery and application of binding environments to any target. In
order for an affinity binding system to be useful, it must specifically
and sensitively detect the target glucose molecule within the complex in
vivo blood and interstitial fluid matrices. The design and
development of this new "anchor” building block was based on the
successful Phase I proof-of-principle study. The anchor building block
will be used in conjunction with the Phase I CARA technology to produce
an expanded library of surfaces specifically tailored to matrix
selective and sensitive glucose binding. The Company believes this
development is significant because it enables an expanded range of
control over the paramount in vivo glucose specificity and
sensitivity parameters.
Robert E. Carlson, Ph.D., President and Chief Science Officer at
Receptors, said, "The development of a commercially successful in vivo
glucose sensor requires the execution of a comprehensive plan that
recognizes the critical nature of each of the component parts of the
system and their integration into
a functional system. Phase I established the glucose sensing system
proof-of-concept. Phase II builds on that foundation and is designed to
achieve three critical goals: development of the second generation
glucose sensing system based on the anchor strategy; evaluation of the
sensing system to electronics interface/signal transduction methods that
fit our key criteria of signal stability and dynamic range; and
initiation of model system in vivo biocompatibility evaluation of
the system critical components. The production of the "anchor” building
block establishes the foundation for all of the subsequent development
effort.”
Scott R. Silverman, Chairman and CEO of PositiveID, said, "The Phase II
development of our in vivo glucose-sensing microchip is on target
to be completed in mid-2010. We are pleased with our progress and we
believe the development of this anchor will enhance glucose binding
within the sensor to make for a better, more effective product to
potentially help the more than 23 million diabetics in the U.S. manage
their disease.”
According to a November 2009 study by researchers at the University of
Chicago published in the journal Diabetes Care, the number of
diabetics in the U.S., which currently stands at 23.7 million, may
almost double in 25 years, and the annual cost of treating them may
triple to $336 billion.
About PositiveID Corporation
PositiveID Corporation develops and markets healthcare and information
management products through its RFID-based diagnostic devices and
identification technologies, and its proprietary disease management
tools. PositiveID operates in two main divisions: HealthID and ID
Security. For more information on PositiveID, please visit www.PositiveIDCorp.com.
About Receptors LLC
Receptors LLC develops Smart Materials products for laboratory,
clinical, industrial hygiene and healthcare use that selectively capture
and measure chemical, biochemical and cellular targets from complex
biological, environmental or industrial samples. The Company's patented
Affinity by Design™ platform has broad applicability, ranging from the
isolation of disease pathway proteins for drug discovery and production
of therapeutic antibodies, to the capture of bacteria and viruses for
disinfection and diagnostic purposes. Receptors LLC is a private company
based in suburban Minneapolis, Minnesota. For further information please
visit http://www.receptorsllc.com.
Statements about PositiveID’s future expectations, including the
likelihood that completion of the synthesis of the "anchor” building
block establishes the foundation for the second generation glucose
sensing system, the Company’s ability to optimize the sensing system for
its glucose response in the presence of blood and interstitial fluid
matrix components and demonstrate the integration of the components into
a stable and reproducible glucose sensor, the likelihood that the
development of the anchor building block enables an expanded range of
control over the paramount in vivo glucose specificity and sensitivity
parameters, the ability of the Company to achieve the goals of Phase II
development including development of the second generation glucose
sensing system based on the anchor strategy; evaluation of the sensing
system to electronics interface/signal transduction methods that fit our
key criteria of signal stability and dynamic range; and initiation of
model system in vivo biocompatibility evaluation of the system critical
components, the likelihood that the Company will complete phase II
development of its in vivo glucose-sensing microchip in mid-2010, the
likelihood that the number of diabetics in the U.S., which currently
stands at 23.7 million, may almost double in 25 years, and the annual
cost of treating them may triple to $336 billion, and all other
statements in this press release other than historical facts are
"forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the
Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, and as that term is defined in the Private Litigation Reform Act
of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties
and are subject to change at any time, and PositiveID’s actual results
could differ materially from expected results. These risks and
uncertainties include the Company’s ability to complete Phase II
development of the glucose-sensing microchip, the capabilities of the
microchip, the Company’s ability to receive FDA approval of and
commercialize the glucose-sensing microchip, as well as certain other
risks. Additional information about these and other factors that could
affect the Company’s business is set forth in the Company’s various
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those set
forth in the Company’s 10-K filed on March 19, 2010, under the caption
"Risk Factors.” The Company undertakes no obligation to update or
release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect
events or circumstances after the date of this statement or to reflect
the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.
