Adeza Biomedical Awarded Three Grants to Support Commercialization of Research.

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 7, 1996--Adeza Biomedical Corp. (Adeza) received notification from the Small Business Technology Transfer Program (STTR), a program administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, that all three STTR Grants applied for by Adeza have been awarded for Phase 1.

STTR grant applications are reviewed by authorities in industry and academia and are awarded based on the potential commercial applications of the research being supported. A Phase 1 Grant is $100,000 for one year after which a Phase 2 Grant of $500,000 for two years may be awarded to continue the project initially funded.

Daniel O. Wilds, Adeza's president and chief executive officer, stated, "The fact that all of the peer-reviewed grants applied for by Adeza were awarded indicates that Adeza has made significant strides in demonstrating the quality of the science and the commercial potential of products resulting from its research. These grants are another important achievement for Adeza in developing products to improve women's health care. We plan to submit Phase 2 Grant requests in 1997 to further develop these products."

An STTR Grant was awarded to further develop an assay to measure beta-3 integrin expression in human endometrium. Current evidence suggests that a subset of women with minimal to mild endometriosis lack beta-3 integrin expression in endometrial tissue during days 20-24 of their menstrual cycle, the window of time during which the uterus is receptive to implantation of the embryo.

Women with defects in endometrial beta-3 integrin expression are rarely able to conceive without the use of assisted reproductive technologies. A test that identifies women with defects in uterine receptivity and endometriosis would benefit infertility patients who currently undergo costly and often unsuccessful infertility therapies.

A second STTR Grant was awarded to further develop an assay to measure anti-ovarian antibodies in serum. Current data suggest that high levels of serum anti-ovarian antibodies are associated with poor response to ovulation induction by gonadotropin administration. In addition, there appears to be a correlation between high levels of serum anti-ovarian antibodies and other ovary-related infertility diseases.

A test to measure serum anti-ovarian antibodies could be used by physicians to choose appropriate treatment for patients who respond poorly to ovulation induction or in vitro fertilization and would prevent unnecessary, failed ovulation induction cycles.

A third STTR Grant was awarded to further investigate the correlation between levels of Human Leukocyte Antigen-G (HLA-G) in maternal blood and/or urine with outcome of pregnancy.

Verification of such a correlation could lead to the development of a simple, inexpensive test that measures placental development and function, thereby assisting physicians in assessing the progress of pregnancy and allowing them to identify women at risk for complications of pregnancy including hypertensive disorders and intrauterine growth retardation.

Such a test would also improve the quality and reduce the cost of prenatal care by allowing early and accurate identification of women destined to have abnormal pregnancies.

Adeza Biomedical is a Sunnyvale, California-based biotechnology company that develops, manufactures and markets biomedical products and services specifically for women's pregnancy and reproductive health care problems including premature and late birth, preeclampsia, endometriosis and infertility. Adeza's Fetal Fibronectin Immunoassay is the only immunodiagnostic test approved by the FDA to aid in detecting the risk of preterm delivery.

CONTACT: Adeza Biomedical Corp., Sunnyvale

Brian C. Unger, 408/745-0975