SAN DIEGO, Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Prometheus Laboratories Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical and diagnostic company, and Tarrot Laboratories, a business unit of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, today announced the execution of an exclusive research collaboration and license agreement. The collaboration will focus on identifying genetic or serologic markers associated with clinical responses to anti-TNF therapies such as Cimzia®, Humira® and Remicade® utilized in the treatment of Crohn's Disease, and the subsequent development of diagnostic tests.

Under the terms of the exclusive agreement, Tarrot and Prometheus will jointly fund and share technology for research and development activities. Tarrot will receive additional payments upon the achievement of certain development milestones and a royalty based upon product revenues. Prometheus will receive rights to intellectual property as well as the diagnostic tests that are jointly developed.

"We are pleased to collaborate with Tarrot on this exciting technology. This collaboration enhances Prometheus' continued expansion of our business model, focusing on personalized medicine in gastroenterology," said Joseph M. Limber, Prometheus' President and Chief Executive Officer. "The ability to identify and stratify patients for optimization of therapy, including certain biologic therapies used to treat Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis, is extremely important in patient care."

"Tarrot brings strong clinical capabilities to this collaboration and access to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, which treats nearly 4,000 patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseaseannually," said Richard Katzman, Chief Executive Officer of Tarrot. "We believe our strong technical expertise in the areas of genetic testing, data analysis and modeling will be utilized to create new discoveries in this area of pharmacogenomics. We are pleased to be working with Prometheus, a partner with a proven history of developing and commercializing novel, proprietary diagnostics to improve physician's ability to personalize patient care."

About Tarrot

Established in 2008, Tarrot is a business unit of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Tarrot's vision is to deliver the promise of personalized prognosis, diagnosis, and treatment to people with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. The company utilizes its proprietary Subject Stratification and Clustering Engine to: (1) Predict disease severity and progression in defined subject groups; (2) Work with companies to design and implement enhanced Phase 2A, 2B, and Phase 3 patient specific clinical trials, and; (3) Identify new drug targets through our deep insights into mechanisms which drive IBD. Tarrot's facilities are located in Los Angeles, California.

About Prometheus

Prometheus Laboratories Inc. is committed to improving lives through the development and commercialization of novel pharmaceutical and diagnostic products that enable physicians to provide greater individualized patient care. Prometheus is a leader in applying the principles of personalized medicine to the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases and is applying these principles to oncology. Its strategy includes the marketing and delivery of pharmaceutical products complemented by proprietary diagnostic testing services. By integrating therapeutics and diagnostics, Prometheus believes it can provide physicians with a comprehensive solution to treat chronic diseases. Prometheus' corporate offices are located in San Diego, California.

Cimzia® is a registered trademark of UCB Pharma, S.A. Humira® is a registered trademark of Abbott Laboratories and Abbott Biotechnology Ltd. Remicade® is a registered trademark of Centocor Ortho Biotech Inc.

SOURCE Prometheus Laboratories Inc.