Metabolomx, a diagnostic company focused on breath analysis for the detection of cancer, today announced the Company was awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The $1.14 million combined Phase I/II Fast-Track contract will support the research and development of Metabolomx sensor array system to detect lung cancer. Metabolomx proprietary technology is designed to recognize the molecular fingerprint of lung cancer and other disease via a new paradigm similar to artificial olfaction. It is thought that small molecule volatile metabolite byproducts of tumor metabolism diffuse from tissue into the bloodstream and thereby emerge in exhaled breath. The Companys system currently is being evaluated in a large lung cancer screening study at the Cleveland Clinic, with preliminary results soon to be published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology. Paul Rhodes, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of Metabolomx, commented, Because our system is rapid, non-invasive and inexpensive, we believe it can be both a timely adjunct diagnostic following an indeterminate CT scan and, in the future, can help facilitate earlier diagnosis of disease. This is particularly critical in lung cancer, since many patients are first diagnosed only late in their disease. Dr. Rhodes continued, We are grateful for the support of the NCI grant, which will help us to further validate our technology and advance the breakthrough studies of our breath analysis system for lung cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer and other cancers.