Gentris Corporation to “D-Mystify” DNA Banking During Live Webcast

Research Triangle Park, North Carolina – January 11, 2006 – Gentris Corporation, a leading global provider of applied clinical pharmacogenomic services and diagnostic product solutions, announced today that it will conduct a live webcast on Wednesday, January 11th, at 1:30 p.m. EST. During the event, Gentris president and CEO Michael Murphy will identify the benefits of and key issues to consider when formulating a solid DNA banking strategy.

Pharmaceutical companies who conduct clinical trials often forego the opportunity to collect patients’ DNA. As a result, they are unable to perform retrospective analysis when adverse events occur, thereby forfeiting the chance to determine if genetic variation is impacting patient response. In addition, they miss an opportunity to bank samples that could be of great value to future research studies. “A well-constructed DNA banking plan can be viewed as an insurance plan for drug developers, allowing them to have a second chance to understand unexpected outcomes” said Murphy.
For companies deploying drug development programs, crafting a DNA banking strategy requires keen attention to a large number of ethical, regulatory and quality assurance details. Patient consent issues, sample chain of custody and anonymization requirements, storage and retrieval infrastructure, and sample integrity and yield are some of the issues Murphy will address during the webcast “D-Mystifying DNA Banking”. To pre-register for this event, please visit the link below: http://app.bronto.com/x/webforms.php?id=3515_211968e4.
1. On the day of the webcast, join the event by linking to:
https://meetings.webex.com/meetings/j.php?ED=2997917&UID=7703312
2. For audio, call toll free: 866-469-3239 OR 650-429-3300
3. When prompted for a meeting number, enter: 619 852 653
Conference Duration: 30 Min Presentation / 15 Min Q&A
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About Gentris Corporation
Gentris Corporation is a leading global provider of applied clinical pharmacogenomic services and diagnostic product solutions. As pioneers in the field of pharmacogenomics, Gentris helps pharmaceutical companies and clinical research organizations effectively integrate pharmacogenomics into their drug development programs to deliver safer, more effective compounds to the market sooner. Gentris is developing diagnostic test kits and validated reference controls that will bring the promise of personalized medicine to physicians and patients, which will enhance patient management, improve patients' response to therapy and revolutionize medicine through pharmacogenomics. For additional information, please visit http://www.gentris.com.

About Michael Murphy
Michael Murphy is the president and CEO of Gentris Corporation. Michael is considered an industry pioneer and thought leader with more than 22 years of scientific and business experience in the field of pharmacogenomics. Michael is actively involved in a number of industry organizations across the country; providing recommendations and industry insight on regulatory and reimbursement issues. He is a frequent lecturer and author on pharmacogenomic topics and currently sits on the editorial review board of the journal, Pharmacogenomics. Michael received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from San Diego State University and was trained in molecular biology at the Salk Institute.