Patent accepted for Diagnostic Test for Diabetic Kidney Disease

ASX/Media Release, 21 May 2015

• Ability to accurately detect early onset of Diabetic Kidney Disease via a simple blood test has potential to save health care systems globally $100s of millions annually.
• Treating end stage kidney disease with dialysis will cost $12billion every year in Australia by 2020.

Life science company Proteomics International Laboratories Ltd (ASX: PIQ) is pleased to announce its Australian patent for its Diagnostic Test for the diagnosis of Diabetic Kidney Disease has been accepted.

The Company has received a Notice of Acceptance from IP Australia for its Australian Patent Application 2011305050 entitled, “Biomarkers associated with pre-diabetes, diabetes and diabetes related conditions”. The patent is due to grant in August and will be valid until September 2031.

This is an important milestone in the development and commercialisation of PIQ’s Diagnostic Test for the early diagnosis of kidney disease. Current detection methods are not robust and lack sensitivity, and doctors, patients and healthcare providers could benefit from having better tests
that can deliver more effective diagnosis, prognosis and help monitor treatment.

PIQ’s patented test was developed from the Company’s world-leading proprietary proteomics-based technology platform. It uses protein biomarkers found in the blood to provide an accurate detection of the presence of disease. The patent also provides a means to develop new drugs for treating diabetic kidney disease.

The Company is seeking to secure patent protection for its Diabetic Kidney Disease Diagnostic Test in all major global markets including the USA, Europe, China and India.

Market Opportunity
The potential medical benefits and cost savings from PIQ’s diagnostic test are huge; in the USA nearly 10% of the population have diabetes, and 35% of adults with diabetes develop chronic kidney disease and 20% end up with kidney failure.

The ability to accurately detect the early onset of Diabetic Kidney Disease via a simple blood test and then prescribe appropriate medicine to prevent the condition progressing to dialysis or kidney transplant has the potential to save health care systems globally $100s of millions annually.

In Australia, diabetes in the fastest growing chronic disease with a total of 1.1 million with either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, and around 100,000 new cases reported each year. The total cost to the health system and in productivity loss is estimated at $10.3 billion annually. A large proportion of these cases (up to 60%) may be prevented by early diagnoses.

About PIQ’s Diagnostics business unit
Diagnostics are a key component of the Company’s operations. It focuses on utilising its proprietary proteomics-based technology platform to discover new diagnostic tests based on the differences in the protein make-up of people with and without a particular disease. By comparing blood or other samples taken from both sick and healthy people, PILL is able to produce a set of biomarkers (biological signatures) that can be used to test for a particular condition, and to provide personalised medicines – rather than a one-size-fits-all approach to treatment. Biomarkers represent a massive global market which is estimated to double in size to $40.8 billion by 2018.

About Proteomics International Laboratories (PILL)
PILL is an ASX listed (ASX: PIQ) life science company focused on the area of proteomics – the industrial scale study of the structure and function of proteins. Proteomics is an integral part of the biotechnology and life sciences industries and plays a key role in understanding disease and
biological systems. It represents a massive global market estimated to be worth $20.8 billion by 2018.

PILL is an established, revenue generating business and is recognised as a global leader in its field. It received the world’s first ISO 17025 laboratory accreditation for proteomics services, and operates from state-of-the art facilities at the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research in Perth, Western Australia. The Company’s business model uses its proprietary technology platform which operates across three synergistic proteomics-based business units in massive growth markets:

1. Analytical services: Specialist contract research, analytical testing and consultancy – fee for service model.
2. Diagnostics: Biomarkers of diseases and personalised medicine – focus on diabetic kidney disease and Alzheimer’s disease. The biomarkers market is estimated to double in size to $40.8 billion by 2018.
3. Drug discovery: Therapeutic drug discovery with a focus on painkillers and antibiotics. The peptide therapeutics market is currently estimated to be worth $17 billion.

About the study of proteomics
Proteomics is the large-scale study of the structure and function of proteins. The protein make-up in our bodies differs from cell to cell and changes considerably over time. For example, a cancerous cell will have significantly different proteins to a healthy cell. Understanding proteomics can speed up diagnosis and the identification of drugs that can be used to treat diseases. As recently as 12-15 years ago, identifying a single protein (a process called sequencing) took around 24 hours, and required comparatively large amounts of highly purified sample. Today, PILL can identify a protein in 10 seconds and complex mixtures can be quickly and accurately analysed. This drives the Company’s business model across its three areas of operation.

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