SOUTH EASTON, Mass., Aug. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Pressure BioSciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: PBIO; "PBI" or "the Company") today announced the market release of its pressure cycling technology ("PCT")-enhanced trypsin digestion application for proteomics, a major new addition to its PCT family of products. Named "Proteolysis (Trypsin)-PrEP", this new PCT-enhanced processing ("PrEP") application was unveiled at the Drug Discovery & Development of Innovative Therapeutics Expo 2008, being held this week at the World Trade Center Boston & Seaport Hotel, in Boston, Massachusetts.
Proteins are large biological molecules that are present in and vital to all living cells. Proteins comprise a major part of skin, muscles, organs, and glands, and include many substances necessary for the proper functioning of an organism, such as hormones, enzymes, and antibodies. The analysis of protein structure and function ("proteomics") is essential to the development of new drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics.
Proteins are often analyzed using a sophisticated laboratory method called mass spectrometry, which requires that proteins first be broken down into smaller fragments called peptides. This process is often accomplished by placing the protein in a test tube with the enzyme trypsin, and incubating the mixture overnight. During this time, trypsin "digests" the protein into its smaller peptide fragments, which can then be easily identified by the mass spectrometer. This method has been shown to give invaluable information about proteins, their peptide building blocks, the amino acids that make up the peptides, and the nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) that instruct the cell to produce the proteins.
Dr. Alexander Lazarev, Vice President of Research and Development for PBI, said: "Over the past two months, three independent research laboratories using pressure cycling technology have published findings indicating that PCT can reduce the incubation time required for the trypsin digestion of proteins from hours to minutes, and often with a concomitant improvement in the quality of the results of the digestion process. We have replicated these results in our own laboratory. This is a highly significant finding because we believe that the acceleration of protein digestion by PCT, together with the potential for an improvement in the quality of the result, will offer the many researchers currently using mass spectrometry the ability to complete their experiments significantly faster and with the potential for better quality than at the present time. We believe that this may lead to accelerated discoveries and quicker time for new products to get to market."
According to an October 2005 report by Strategic Directions International, "mass spectrometry is one of the most powerful analytical tools available to modern day scientists ... with more than 200,000 mass spectrometry based instruments currently in operation." A January 2006 article by Instrument Business Outlook states "the global market for laboratory mass spectrometry (MS) has grown rapidly into a multibillion dollar business, but it still has strong growth prospects almost across the board despite its size. The MS market should see annual growth of better than 8% through 2010." Finally, according to an April 2008 report by The Emmes Group, "the global proteomics and genomics sample preparation market will reach $2 billion in 2012, and we expect this market segment to grow at a robust 9% to 10% annual rate for the next several years."
Richard T. Schumacher, Founder, President, and CEO of PBI commented: "The preparation of samples by trypsin digestion prior to mass spectrometry analysis is a new market for our Company. This market is very large and is growing at a robust rate. We have seen a significant increase in the number of inquiries about PCT, and in requests for demonstrations of the technology, since the publication and presentation of these exciting discoveries two months ago. We believe that this increased interest in PCT will manifest itself in increased installations of the PCT Sample Preparation System during the second half of 2008, as compared to the first two quarters of the year. This is a very exciting time for all stakeholders of PBI."
About Pressure BioSciences, Inc.
Pressure BioSciences, Inc. (PBI) is a publicly traded company focused on the development of a novel, enabling, platform technology called Pressure Cycling Technology (PCT). PCT uses cycles of hydrostatic pressure between ambient and ultra-high levels (up to 35,000 psi and greater) to control bio-molecular interactions. PBI currently holds 13 US and 5 foreign patents covering multiple applications of PCT in the life sciences field, including such areas as genomic and proteomic sample preparation, pathogen inactivation, the control of chemical reactions (particularly enzymes), immunodiagnostics, and protein purification.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements contained in this press release regarding the Company's intentions, hopes, beliefs, expectations, or predictions of the future are "forward-looking'' statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include the use of the PCT SPS by the Brooklyn Hospital Center and the NYU School of Medicine, the results of their studies having been presented at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology. These statements are based upon the Company's current expectations, forecasts, and assumptions that are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties, and other factors include, but are not limited to: unforeseen technological difficulties that the Company may encounter in the development of the PCT technology and the PCT Sample Preparation System; the possibility that other laboratories may be unable to duplicate the results generated by Dr. Momeni and her colleagues; the possibility that the data generated may not be beneficial in the development of new therapeutics and diagnostics for colon cancer; that due to competitive products, services, and technological advances, PCT may not be the preferred method of sample preparation by other scientists and laboratories; and the other risks and uncertainties discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-KSB for the year ended December 31, 2006, and other reports filed by the Company from time to time with the SEC. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the information included in this release, except as otherwise required by law.
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Pressure BioSciences, Inc.
Investor Contacts:
Richard T. Schumacher, President & CEO
Edward H. Myles, Sr. Vice President of Finance & CFO
(508) 580-1818