Cytonics Receives Notice of Allowance for Patent Related to FACT(TM) Diagnostic for Back and Joint Pain

JUPITER, FL--(Marketwire - Oct 23, 2012) -  Cytonics Corporation, a biotechnology company focused on proteomic-based diagnostics and treatments for musculoskeletal disease, announced that the United States Patent Office has granted a Notice of Allowance for a patent related to the company's FACT™ (Fibronectin-Aggrecan Complex Test). The Notice of Allowance is for Cytonics' Patent Application Number 12/570,279 titled "Biomarkers and Methods for Detecting and Treating Spinal and Joint Pain."

Cytonics' FACT assay detects the presence of a Fibronectin-Aggrecan Complex in a fluid specimen taken from patients with spine or joint related pain. The presence of this complex has been shown in clinical studies to be associated with inflammation due to cartilage and spinal disc damage or degeneration. 

The recently allowed patent includes diagnostic kit claims for detecting the Fibronectin and Aggrecan Complex that may be used by a physician to pinpoint the source of musculoskeletal pain. This new patent further expands Cytonics' intellectual property portfolio protecting FACT, including diagnostic and therapeutic claims in U.S. patent number 7,709,215 and U.S. patent pending number 61/601,434.

"Identifying the source of back and joint pain is a major challenge for physicians," said Gaetano Scuderi, MD, Clinical Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Stanford University's School of Medicine and Cytonics' founder. "Musculoskeletal pain is often due to a biochemical inflammatory cascade, independent of anatomical abnormalities. MRI identification of variations in anatomy can lead to unnecessary and risky treatments, including steroid injections. Cytonics' FACT assay detects a unique biomarker in the inflammatory cascade that can pinpoint the source of pain, allowing physicians to determine the most appropriate treatment." 

The full Cytonics portfolio of diagnostic technology including FACT has been licensed on an exclusive worldwide basis to a leading orthopedic implant company, which is in the process of commercializing the product for market introduction. 

"We look forward to FACT's commercial launch and believe that it will improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs," commented Ray Johnson, President of Cytonics.

Research supporting the use of the Fibronectin-Aggrecan Complex as a biomarker for the source of pain is detailed in a number of peer reviewed journal articles, including the "Identification of a Novel Fibronectin-Aggrecan Complex in the Synovial Fluid of Knees with Painful Meniscal Injury" published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Feb 2011, and "Clinically Significant Improvement in Functional Outcome after Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injection for Radiculopathy Is Predicted By Assay for Novel Fibronectin-Aggrecan Complex," published in SPINE, August 2011.

About Cytonics Corporation

Cytonics is a privately held biotechnology company focused on proteomic-based diagnostics and treatments for musculoskeletal disease. The company has developed the FACT diagnostic to identify the source of back and joint pain and assist physicians in determining the most appropriate treatment. Cytonics is also developing therapeutic products for effective treatment of musculoskeletal related pain. Cytonics has raised over $14 million to date, including the sale of a 20% ownership stake to DePuy Synthes, a division of Johnson & Johnson. The company has relationships with leading research institutions, including Stanford University and the Scripps Research Institute. Cytonics was founded in 2006 and is based in Jupiter, FL. For more information, visit www.Cytonics.com.