REHOVOT, Israel and JERSEY CITY, New Jersey, January 8 — Rosetta Genomics, Ltd. (NASDQ: ROSG), the leading developer of microRNA-based molecular diagnostics, announced today it has signed an exclusive distribution agreement with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Under the terms of the agreement Teva will offer Rosetta Genomics’ miRview(TM) tests in Israel and Turkey. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“This is yet another important step in Rosetta Genomics’ commercialization efforts,” noted Ronen Tamir, Chief Commercialization Officer at Rosetta Genomics. “As Israel provided its citizens with health insurance under the National Health Law, it represents a very attractive market for us. Teva has gained unsurpassed experience in marketing and obtaining reimbursement for complex molecular tests in Israel, and we are very excited to be partnering with them on these important tests. We are also excited to have Teva distribute our tests in Turkey, a country with significant market potential.”

Using microRNAs, a group of recently discovered non-coding genes found to be highly sensitive biomarkers, Rosetta Genomics has developed proprietary technologies which can be the basis for a wide range of diagnostic tests.

The following tests will be distributed by Teva Pharmaceuticals:

– miRview(TM) mets – This test can accurately identify the primary tumor site in patients presenting with metastatic cancer, as well in patients whose tumor has not been identified, and consequently been labeled Cancer of Unknown Primary (CUP). As metastases need to be treated according to their primary origin, accurate identification of the metastases’ primary origin can be critical for determining appropriate treatment.Current diagnostic methods to identify the origin of a metastasis include a wide range of costly, time consuming, and at times inefficient tests. miRview(TM) mets offers physicians with a fast, accurate, and easy to interpret diagnosis of the predicted primary origin.

– miRview(TM) squamous – Using a single microRNA, miRview(TM) squamous differentiates squamous from non-squamous, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. When administered targeted therapy, whether currently available or under development, patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung have demonstrated varying response patterns ranging from a high incidence of severe or fatal internal bleeding in the lungs to overall poor response to treatment. Current methods for differentiating squamous from non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer are not standardized, are difficult to reproduce, and have low accuracy. miRview squamous produces a single score which indicates whether a sample is squamous or non squamous NSCLC.

– miRview(TM) meso – The test leverages microRNA’s high specificity as biomarkers, to differentiate mesothelioma, a cancer connected to asbestos exposure, from other carcinomas in the lung. As mesothelioma patients require specific treatment regimens, accurately diagnosing mesothelioma is critical. Currently, there is no single diagnostic test that is entirely conclusive for this differentiation. In addition, pathological diagnosis may suffer from significant inter-observer variability, and in the absence of a single specific and reliable marker, mesothelioma can be difficult to identify from other cancers. miRview(TM) meso is highly accurate test which may also assist physicians to rule out mesothelioma in patients diagnosed with adenocarcinoma in the lung who have been exposed to mesothelioma-related substances, primarily asbestos particles and heavy metals