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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cancer
diagnostics company Biomoda, Inc. (OTCBB: BMOD
- News)
today urged the New Mexico congressional delegation to support the
Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act of 2009, which calls for a
comprehensive federal program to achieve a 50% reduction in the
mortality rate of lung cancer by 2016.
In letters sent to Sen. Jeff Bingaman, Sen. Tom
Udall, Rep. Martin Heinrich, Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, and Rep. Harry
Teague, Biomoda President John Cousins said lung cancer is the
leading cause of cancer death in the United States, taking more
lives each year than the next four biggest cancers – colon,
breast, prostate and pancreatic – combined.
“In spite of these statistics, lung cancer
receives only a small fraction of federal research dollars devoted
to cancer. The stigma of smoking continues to undermine research
funding efforts even though over 60% of new cases are diagnosed in
people who never smoked or who had already quit, many of them
decades ago. Only 16% will be diagnosed at an early treatable
stage, and most will die within a few months. The need for earlier
detection and more effective treatments is urgent,” Cousins
said.
S. 332 and its House counterpart, H.R. 2112,
would authorize the Secretaries of Health and Human Services,
Defense and Veterans Affairs to combine assets and develop a
coordinated, mission-oriented lung cancer research program to be
implemented over the next five years with funding contingent on
the quality and scope of the plan of action.
“We see the devastating effects of lung cancer
on New Mexicans every day. Biomoda is conducting clinical trials
of an inexpensive, noninvasive diagnostic that currently is used
as an investigational-use-only test for detection of early-stage
lung cancer among New Mexico veterans. With generous support from
the New Mexico State Legislature, we have enrolled more than 500
veterans in our study,” Cousins said. “Results from this trial
and a larger clinical trial to begin next year will be submitted
to the FDA for approval of the CyPath® diagnostic that we believe
will significantly increase both the early diagnosis of cancer and
patient survival rates.”
Cousins acknowledged the Lung Cancer Alliance
and other advocacy groups for raising awareness about the
importance of early detection to improve survivability and working
to increase research funding for lung cancer at the federal and
state levels.
About Biomoda
Biomoda (www.biomoda.com)
is a cancer diagnostics company focused on the development of
accurate, inexpensive and noninvasive tests for the early
detection of cancer. The product platform is based on molecular
marker technology originally developed at Los Alamos National
Laboratory. Current research and development operations,
laboratory functions for both microscopy and assay formulation,
and administrative offices are located at 609 Broadway NE in
Albuquerque, NM, in a LEEDS-certified building.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking
statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based on
estimates, projections, beliefs and assumptions of Biomoda
management at the time of such statements and are not guarantees
of future performance. Forward-looking statements involve risks
and uncertainties in predicting future results and conditions.
Actual results could differ materially from those projected in
these forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors,
including, without limitation, the acceptance by customers of our
products, our ability to develop new products cost-effectively,
our ability to raise capital in the future, the development by
competitors of products using improved or alternative technology,
the retention of key employees and general economic conditions.
Forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press
release and are subject to change without notice.
CONTACT:
Biomoda, Inc.
John
Cousins
505.821.0875
investor@biomoda.com
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