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Denise J. Herich
Vice President
Hill & Knowlton, for Correlogic Systems, Inc.
202-944-3367
denise.herich@hillandknowlton.com

Johns Hopkins University and Correlogic Systems Enter Research Agreement

Proteomic Research to be Conducted on Inflammatory Vascular Diseases
Including Lupus, Arthritis and Vasculitis

BETHESDA, MD, August 21, 2002 - Johns Hopkins University and Correlogic Systems, Inc. today entered into a collaborative research agreement to develop computational diagnostic models of inflammatory vascular diseases. Using Correlogic's proprietary software and processes, researchers will attempt to identify patients with specific inflammatory diseases by analyzing patterns of proteins found in their blood.

Through this new joint research, scientists hope to create models that identify conditions associated with inflammation in blood vessels, such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and Wegener's disease. Much of the research to date in vascular diseases has focused on identifying medications to help maintain disease remission. The new research approach may create disease-specific models that are useful in monitoring treatment, minimizing the use of toxic therapies, detecting early recurrences of disease, and identifying novel therapies which can be tailored to patients' individual characteristics.

Dr. John Stone, Director of the Johns Hopkins Vasculitis Center, and Dr. Ben Hitt, Chief Scientist of Correlogic Systems, Inc., will direct the research efforts in collaboration with the Clinical Proteomics Program of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

"These investigations are designed to broaden our understanding of events related to disease remission, and ultimately to improve our ability to extend remission for patients," said Dr. Hitt.

Arthritis, lupus and vasculitis are among a group of conditions known as "collagen vascular diseases." These disorders, which affect millions of Americans, occur through inflammation within blood vessels. The diseases cause a range of complications, from joint pain to renal failure to stroke. Although most forms of collagen vascular disease are treatable if detected before organ damage has occurred, the diseases are difficult to diagnose because symptoms are often vague and similar to those of other disorders.

The software and investigational strategy of the research were recently used in a study conducted by Correlogic and the Clinical Proteomics Program (FDA/NCI.) The results of this work were fast-track published in the February 16, 2002 issue of The Lancet. The study revealed that it is possible to detect ovarian cancer, even at its earliest stage, by analyzing patterns of proteins from a small sample of blood.

"Building on our current work with the FDA and NCI in the area of cancer detection, we are excited to see our technology being applied to the detection and treatment of other conditions, such as vasculitis," said Peter J. Levine, President of Correlogic Systems.

Scientists will begin research by examining several hundred sera samples from the Johns Hopkins University Vasculitis Center. All samples will be transferred and stored at the FDA/NCI Clinical Proteomics laboratory, with analyses to be performed by Drs. Stone, Hitt and colleagues. The research will be conducted under the terms of Correlogic's Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the FDA/NCI Clinical Proteomics Program.

The Rheumatology Division at Johns Hopkins University is home to one of the nation's premier groups of investigators in collagen vascular diseases, with experts in vasculitis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma and other conditions.

Correlogic Systems, Inc. is a Bethesda, MD-based bioinformatics company engaged in the development of bioinformatic tools and processes for proteomic and genomic-based clinical diagnostic systems and new drug discovery.

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