FirstMark advisory team helps guide the quality and relevance of FirstMark PREvent scientific information, future clinical studies, and approaches to clinical application

SAN DIEGO, California – June 13, 2012 – FirstMark, the diagnostic division of GenWay Biotech, announced today that Dr. Prediman K. (PK) Shah has joined its Scientific Advisory Board.

Dr. Shah is Professor at Cedars-Sinai Professorial Series and Director of the Division of Cardiology. He also is the Director of the Oppenheimer Atherosclerosis Research Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center where he leads several studies that focus on heart disease prevention and treatment. Dr. Shah holds the Shapell and Webb Family Chair in Clinical Cardiology at Cedars-Sinai. Dr. Shah has been Professor of Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) since 1992. Between 1992 and 2005, Dr. Shah and his colleagues conducted revolutionary research on mutant apo-A1 protein, called Apo-A1 Milano that produced a form of HDL that provided greater protection against atherosclerosis and vascular inflammation. In separate studies conducted, Dr. Shah found that a vaccine created from LDL significantly reduced plaque buildup in animals that had high cholesterol levels.

“We are very pleased Dr. Shah has joined FirstMark’s advisory team“, said Thomas Silberg, President and CEO of GenWay Biotech. “His outstanding background in cardiovascular medicine, focus on prevention, and extensive experience in research will be a critical support as we continue to build clinical interest and application for FirstMark PREvent.”

Dr. Shah joins the FirstMark Scientific Advisory Board that is composed of innovative and nationally recognized leaders in cardiology and research. Each of these individuals has made substantial contributions to the field of cardiology. The main focus of the Board is to provide guidance for further clinical development and validation of FirstMark’s new cardiovascular test PREvent. PREvent is the first and only multiple biomarker blood test on the market that predicts near term (2-3 years) risk of myocardial infarction in patients with suspected or confirmed, insignificant or significant coronary artery disease. The test was recently launched, and its remarkable data is receiving a strong reception throughout cardiovascular medicine.

The FirstMark Scientific Advisory Board is comprised of prominent cardiologist and research scientists including:

George A. Beller, MD, MACC
Cardiologist, University of Virginia Health System
Past President of the American College of Cardiology
Past President of the Association of University Cardiologists
Past President of the Association of Professors of Cardiology

Stephen Epstein, MD
Executive Director of the Cardiovascular Research Institute (CRI), MedStar Health Research Institute
Clinical Professor of Medicine at the Georgetown University School of Medicine
Former Chief of the Cardiology Branch of the NHLBI at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD

Arshed Quyyumi, MD, FACC, FRCP
Tenured Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine,
Co-Director, Emory Clinical Cardiovascular Research Institute

Prediman K. Shah, MD, FACC, FACP, FCCP
Director, Division of Cardiology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Director, Oppenheimer Atherosclerosis Research Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Shapell and Webb Family Chair in Clinical Cardiology
Professor, Cedars-Sinai Professorial Series

Sergey Sikora, PhD, MBA
Sr. Vice President,  FirstMark

Robert Wilensky, MD
Professor of Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Director, Interventional Cardiology Research

Peter Wilson, MD
Professor of Medicine, Emory Clinical Cardiovascular Research Institute
Professor of Public Health at the Rollins School of Public Health
Director of Epidemiology and Genomic Medicine, Atlanta VA Medical Center
Co-Developer and former Director of Laboratories at the Framingham Heart Study,
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Framingham, Mass

For more information about FirstMark PREvent and the Scientific Advisory Board, visit FirstMarkPREvent.com

FirstMark PREvent
The study revealed superior cardiac risk information by identifying the top 5% of CAD at the highest risk of MI with a hazard ratio of 5.5. The data showed an annual average of 18.2% of significant CAD patients with all three biomarkers elevated experienced a myocardial infarction or death, compared to only 2.45% of significant CAD patients with all biomarkers normal. The multiple biomarker model adds markedly to traditional risk-prediction by significantly improving C-statistics from 0.695 for base model to 0.750, distinguishing high risk from low risk subjects.

About FirstMark
FirstMark is a division of GenWay Biotech, Inc. The FirstMark division is focused on the development and commercialization of non-invasive diagnostic and health monitoring tests for unmet clinical needs. Headquarters are located in the heart of San Diego’s biotech community in the Sorrento Valley/Mesa area.