Fujirebio Diagnostics, Inc. (FDI), a world-leader in oncology testing, today announced that it submitted a 510K application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on April 29, 2005 for clearance of MESOMARK(TM), the first blood test for mesothelioma.

"We are pleased to bring this new and exciting diagnostic tool for monitoring mesothelioma before the FDA for review," said Paul Touhey, president and COO for FDI. "MESOMARK further demonstrates FDI's commitment to deliver novel, innovative and noninvasive technologies that help patients and physicians better manage cancer."

MESOMARK, a manual enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), works by identifying serum tumor markers called soluble mesothelin-related peptides (SMRP). These proteins are released into the bloodstream by malignant mesothelioma cells. FDI's mesothelioma assay is a two-step immunoassay that quantitates SMRP in human blood using a standard ELISA microplate sandwich assay format.

About Mesothelioma

Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma is a highly aggressive form of cancer found in the lining of the chest, the abdominal cavity and around the heart, in which fluid accumulates between the lining of the lungs and chest cavity. It is primarily caused by work-related asbestos exposure and has an average latency period of 30-40 years. Over 100 million people worldwide have been occupationally exposed to asbestos in the past five decades. Rates of mesothelioma have tripled in the last 20 years and it is estimated that 10,000 new cases are diagnosed each year among industrialized countries. Recent epidemiological studies predict an increase in this number in the next few decades. Up until now, there have been no reliable serum tumor markers for mesothelioma, which means that diagnosis, screening and monitoring responses to treatment have been difficult. In addition, mesothelioma is notoriously resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and is rarely cured by radical surgery.