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OMAHA, Neb.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Transgenomic, Inc. (OTCBB: TBIO) today announced that it has begun a collaboration with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to evaluate the use of the Companyas very high sensitivity ICE COLD-PCR mutation detection technology in analysis of DNA isolated from circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in blood samples from patients with advanced cancer.

This study will be supervised jointly by Dr. Filip Janku, Assistant Professor, Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, and by Dr. Katherine Richardson, VP Research & Development, and Dr. Marcia Lewis, VP Biomarker Development, at Transgenomic, Omaha, NE. Dr. Jankuas research interest at the MD Anderson Cancer Center is understanding the effectiveness of targeted therapies in the treatment of cancer.

The new class of targeted-therapy cancer drugs has radically changed cancer treatment regimens. They specifically block mutated proteins in tumor cells, switching off key tumor growth pathways. The selection of the correct pathway-blocking drugs requires knowledge about the DNA mutations in tumor cells. See Janku et al 2010 (Nat Rev Clin Oncol 7; 401-14) for a recent review of this subject.

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) can be routinely isolated from a cancer patientas blood sample and, with adequate enrichment, biomarkers in these CTCs can be analysed to determine current disease therapy options. CTC analysis may also be feasible when there is no solid tumor to biopsy. CTC analysis in blood is also a much easier and safer procedure than tumor biopsy.

CTCs are very rare in blood and difficult to analyze by traditional genomic methods. Transgenomicas ICE COLD-PCR is a simple assay technology that has the ability to enrich very low levels of mutant DNA such that the tumor biomarkers can be sensitively detected by standard DNA sequencing from these circulating tumor cells.

This collaboration will study the use of ICE COLD-PCR to determine the presence or absence of biomarkers before, during and after targeted-therapy, information that will guide a clinician on the effectiveness of specific cancer treatments, cancer relapse or the appearance of new mutations that cause new drug resistance in a patientas cancer.

About Transgenomic

Transgenomic, Inc. ([ www.transgenomic.com ]) is a global biotechnology company advancing personalized medicine in cancer and inherited diseases through its proprietary molecular technologies and world-class clinical and research services. The Company has three complementary business divisions: Transgenomic Pharmacogenomic Services is a contract research laboratory that specializes in supporting all phases of pre-clinical and clinical trials for oncology drugs in development. Transgenomic Clinical Laboratories specializes in molecular diagnostics for cardiology, neurology, mitochondrial disorders, and oncology. Transgenomic Diagnostic Tools produces equipment, reagents, and other consumables that empower clinical and research applications in molecular testing and cytogenetics. Transgenomic believes there is significant opportunity for continued growth across all three businesses by leveraging their synergistic capabilities, technologies, and expertise. The Company actively develops and acquires new technology and other intellectual property that strengthen its leadership in personalized medicine.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release constitute aforward-looking statementsa of Transgenomic within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those with respect to management's current views and estimates of future economic circumstances, industry conditions, company performance and financial results, including the ability of the Company to grow its involvement in the diagnostic products and services markets. The known risks, uncertainties and other factors affecting these forward-looking statements are described from time to time in Transgenomic's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any change in such factors, risks and uncertainties may cause the actual results, events and performance to differ materially from those referred to in such statements. Accordingly, the Company claims the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 with respect to all statements contained in this press release. All information in this press release is as of the date of the release and Transgenomic does not undertake any duty to update this information, including any forward-looking statements, unless required by law.