Pacific Biomarkers Researchers' Article Featured in May/June 2011 Issue of IVD Technology Magazine

Article Highlights Kidney Injury Biomarker Program That Could Accelerate Move Toward Personalized Medicine for Kidney Patients

Two senior researchers at Pacific Biomarkers, Inc. (PBI) (OTCBB: PBMC), a provider of biomarker laboratory services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and diagnostics industries, have an article featured in the May/June 2011 issue of IVD Technology magazine. Timothy H. Carlson, PhD, Laboratory Director/Senior Director of Biomarker Innovation, and Amar A. Sethi, MD, PhD, Vice President of Research and Development, contributed the article, which is titled "A Kidney Injury Biomarker Initiative."

A biomarker is a biological indicator of a patient's physical condition. In the article, Drs. Carlson and Sethi discuss how biomarkers will become powerful clinical tools in the detection of treatment-induced acute kidney injury and in the diagnosis of impaired kidney function. An FDA-inspired program has been launched to identify a range of biomarkers to detect these and other conditions; ultimately, they could replace or augment less-sensitive existing tests. Drs. Carlson and Sethi summarize the work that has been initiated, describe some individual biomarkers in the program, and outline their utility as potential IVDs.

If successful, the research on kidney injury biomarkers could usher in a new era of personalized medicine for kidney patients, with treatments tailored to their specific conditions. "A new and more accurate generation of IVD tests for kidney injury may result from the AKI biomarker initiative currently underway," the authors conclude.

Dr. Carlson commented, "What is very exciting about the development of these biomarkers is that they are almost certain to be useful at many levels of biomedical activity. We envision their use in preclinical and clinical drug development, and for monitoring patients who are prescribed drugs that have some potential to cause kidney
injury, or who have conditions, like diabetes, that are associated with the risk for chronic kidney injury."

Ron Helm, CEO and Chairman of PBI, said, "Pacific Biomarkers is working out suitable preanalytical and analytical conditions for use in measuring biomarkers of kidney injury. It will be important to collect the best possible specimens and employ the most robust methods for their measurement. The Company expects to be the leader in this field."

To view the article in its entirety, please visit the following link:
http://www.ivdtechnology.com/article/kidney-injury-biomarker-initiative


About Pacific Biomarkers, Inc.
Established in 1989, PBI provides biomarker laboratory services and contract research services to support pharmaceutical and diagnostic manufacturers conducting human clinical trial research. The Company provides expert services in the areas of cardiovascular and musculoskeletal diseases, diabetes, obesity, and nutrition. The PBI laboratory is accredited by the College of American Pathologists, New York State, and the Lipid Standardization Program. PBI's clients include many of the world's largest pharmaceutical, biotech, and diagnostic companies. PBI also provides clinical biomarker services focusing on the emerging field of biomarker assay development and testing. Services include validating and performing custom assays for novel clinical biomarkers, immunogenicity testing, mass spectrometry, and multiplex testing.
PBI is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, and its common stock trades on the OTC Bulletin Board under the symbol "PBMC".
For more information about PBI, visit the company's website at www.pacbio.com.