Baltimore, MD –January 11, 2010 –CCC Diagnostics, Inc., headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, today announced that it has launched ”DirectHit test panel,” a vastly improved diagnostic test for breast cancer treatment that accurately predicts the tumor’s response to four commonly prescribed classes of anti-cancer drugs.

Prior to the launch of DirectHit test panel, there were only two tests that could predict the tumor’s responsiveness to chemotherapy and hormone treatment: 1. The HER-2/neu receptor test (testing responsiveness to the chemotherapy drug, Trastuzumab) and 2. the Estrogen Receptor Test (testing responsiveness to hormone treatment). Because drugs can be approved by the FDA for market with only a 20%-30% probability of being effective, the existence of only these two tests has left physicians with a difficult challenge in prescribing a drug that would be effective and less toxic for each individual cancer patient.”

Per John Hughes, President and CEO of CCC Diagnostics, states, “Our new DirectHit test panel is the only test which can predict the responsiveness to two additional classes of chemotherapy drugs, Taxanes and 5-FU. In addition, DirectHit test panel significantly increases the predictive accuracy (85-90%) of the estrogen receptor test and accurately delivers the HER-2/neu test.”

“Given the crucial time window for effective breast cancer therapy, our new test is a significant step forward for physicians and their patients because the treatment will now have a higher probability of affecting the tumor” says David A. Van Echo, M.d., CCC’s Medical Director.

The test is conducted on specimens of the tumor using fluorescent dye labeled monoclonal antibodies, resulting in a quantitative measure of the responsiveness of the appropriate bio-marker to specific drug regimens.

The new test panel also will result in significant cost savings because it will eliminate many ineffective treatments.

“No longer must one breast cancer treatment fit all,” says Mr. Hughes, which should be welcome news for physicians and their patients.

The clinical results for DirectHit were presented as a poster in December, 2008 at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, and at ASCO in June, 2009.

ABOUT CCC Diagnostics, Inc.
CCC Diagnostics, Inc. was formed in 2004 by a group of scientists from the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, and led by the late Dr. Paul O. P. Ts’o, the former Director of the school’s Biophysics Division.

CCC Diagnostics, Inc. actively integrates discoveries in diagnostic, therapeutic and information technologies to create innovative approaches to cancer disease management and to enhance the quality of life for cancer patents. Our strategy is to provide effective, personalized chemotherapy treatment recommendations, increasing life quality and decreasing cost through appropriate drug choice.