Vermillion Announces Publication of Data Supporting Its Peripheral Artery Disease Diagnostic Test Program

                 - Results published in Vascular Medicine -



    FREMONT, Calif., Aug. 22 /EMWNews/ -- Vermillion, Inc.

(Nasdaq: VRML), a molecular diagnostics company, announced the publication

of data supporting its peripheral artery disease (PAD) diagnostic program.

The results were published in the August, 2008 issue of the peer-reviewed

journal, Vascular Medicine. The study was led by John Cooke, MD, PhD,

Professor of Medicine at Stanford University and involved researchers at

Stanford, Mt. Sinai Medical Center (New York), and Vermillion.



    "PAD is a serious disease that often goes undiagnosed and untreated,"

said Dr. John Cooke. "A blood test that identifies people at risk for this

debilitating condition will improve diagnosis and give these people a

better chance of getting the life- and limb-saving therapy they need. Our

study indicates that this biomarker panel could assist physicians in

identifying those individuals at highest risk of having PAD."



    The study comprised 540 individuals: 197 individuals with both coronary

artery disease and peripheral arterial disease (CAD + PAD); 81 with CAD

only; and 262 with no hemodynamically significant disease (NHSD) of the

coronary or peripheral arteries. Blood plasma was analyzed for a series of

candidate biomarkers, and a final biomarker panel comprising Beta-2M,

cystatin C, hsCRP, and glucose had an increased association with PAD status

(odds ratio = 7.3).



    Vermillion has entered into an exclusive license agreement with

Stanford to develop and commercialize the PAD biomarker panel.

    About Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)



    PAD, a serious but often asymptomatic disorder affecting some eight to

12 million Americans, is caused by the buildup of fat and cholesterol, or

plaque, in the peripheral arteries, disrupting normal blood flow. Left

untreated, PAD more than doubles the risk of heart attack and stroke and

increases the risk of amputation and death. There are treatments that can

save the lives and limbs of these patients, once the disease is recognized.



    About Vermillion



    Vermillion, Inc. is dedicated to the discovery, development and

commercialization of novel high-value diagnostic tests that help physicians

diagnose, treat and improve outcomes for patients. Vermillion, along with

its prestigious scientific collaborators, has diagnostic programs in

oncology, hematology, cardiology and women's health. Vermillion is based in

Fremont, California. Additional information about Vermillion can be found

on the Web at http://www.vermillion.com.



    Forward Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking

statements that involve significant risks and uncertainties, including

statements regarding Vermillion's plans, objectives, expectations and

intentions. These forward-looking statements are based on Vermillion's

current expectations. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

provides a "safe harbor" for such forward-looking statements. In order to

comply with the terms of the safe harbor, Vermillion notes that a variety

of factors could cause actual results and experience to differ materially

from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in such

forward-looking statements. There is no guarantee of a correlation between

identified biomarkers and PAD diagnosis. Even if such a correlation is

identified, commercialization of a PAD diagnostic test is uncertain.

Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include but

are not limited to: (1) uncertainty in obtaining intellectual property

protection for inventions made by Vermillion; (2) unproven ability of

Vermillion to discover, develop, and commercialize PAD diagnostic products

based on findings from its disease association studies; (3) unproven

ability of Vermillion to discover or identify new protein biomarkers and

use such information to develop PAD diagnostic products; (4) uncertainty as

to whether Vermillion will be able to obtain any required regulatory

approval of its PAD diagnostic products; (5) uncertainty of market

acceptance of its PAD diagnostic products, including the risk that its

products will not be competitive with products offered by other companies,

or that users will not be entitled to receive adequate reimbursement for

its products from third party payors such as private insurance companies

and government insurance plans; and (6) other factors that might be

described from time to time in Vermillion's filings with the Securities and

Exchange Commission. All information in this press release is as of the

date of the release, and Vermillion expressly disclaims any obligation or

undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such

statements to reflect any change in Vermillion's expectations or any change

in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is

based, unless required by law.