For more information, contact:
Maureen Marr – IssuesMgmt@gmail.com or 212.721.7001, 917.822.6056 mobile
Cassie Hoag – choag@privateaccess.com or 949.502.7890 x104; 949.300.0316 mobile

Private Access Announces Commercial Beta Release of Privacy-Enhanced Search Technology
First applications to leverage the company’s transformative privacy platform focus on accelerating clinical trials recruitment

IRVINE, CA – August 19, 2009 – Private Access announced today the commercial beta release of its privacy-enabled technologies that put consumers at the center of clinical research in order to more easily and quickly connect them wit relevant and beneficial clinical trials. Formed on the core principle that each individual should have the right to decide for themselves when, why, and specifically with whom, they wish to share their personal information, Private Access’ first applications allow patients to grant researchers “private access” to their confidential information.

Historically, restrictive privacy regulations have been cited as major impediments to the conduct of medical research, prompting some to argue that broad policy changes that effectively loosen existing privacy protections are needed to improve cre, speed the development of new and improved treatments for diseases and chronic illness, and reduce health care costs. However, Private Access was born out of a different approach. The company founder asked: “What if a much more powerful privacy technology could be used that would empower individual patients to grant private access totheir medical information so that the most relevant medical researchers for their condition could find them?”

The commercial beta launch of this more powerful privacy technology has now commenced. A handful of selected researchers from around the U.S. who are actively recruiting patients for studies are now able to use Private Access’ technology to find beta-participant patients who have granted the researchers “private access” to their medical information. Initial feedback from patients and researchers has been extremely positive. “I am very impressed with the system,” said one patient who has created an account on Private Access’ platform. “Someone as open as me can share my information with researchers because I have always wanted to help others, and yet I don’t have to let my neighbor see it.”

Private Access also announced today that it has entered into a collaboration with Pfizer, Inc. to continue development and implementation of Private Access’ novel applications surrounding patient privacy, focusing on increasing clinical trial awareness and participation.

“Our ability to recruit the right patient for the right trial directly impacts the time it takes us to bring a new innovative meical treatment to the market,” said Freda Lewis-Hall, MD, Pfizer’s chief medical officer. “We hope empowering online communities with Private Access’ novel technology will give patients the confidence to selectively share their health information, so they can more easily find a clinical trial that fits their specific treatment needs.”

“Pfizer continues to pursue ideas that have transformative potential and we believe innovations like Private Access will help trnsform the way patients learn about and connect with clinical research,” said Kristin Peck, SVP of worldwide strategy and innovation at Pfizer. “In entering into this partnership, we recognize that this must be an industry-wide effort to be a truly transformative innovation that benefits the patients and society as a whole.”

The Pfizer collaboration is Private Access’ second major strategic alliance. In August 2008, Private Access announced having entered into a broad agreement with Genetic Alliance, a non-profit organization that supports over 1,000 disease advocacy groups, to help introduce its technology to the approximately 25 million patients, families and researchers collectively represented by these groups.

Private Access’ non-exclusive partnerships with Genetic Alliance and Pfizer exemplify the organizations’ shared belief that transforming the issuesof privacy, data liquidity and clinical trials recruitment requires a broad coalition of patients, industry and non-profit groups. “Many people, particularly those dealing with a chronic disease or genetic condition, need a better way to locate clinical research studies that might be relevant. Private Access’ technology makes it possible for consumers and researchers to get together faster and at a lower cost, all in the context of greater privacy protections,” said Sharon F. Terry, President and CEO of Genetic Alliance.

Professor Alan Westin, one of the nation’s pre-eminent privacy scholars, author of the seminal 1967 book, Privacy and Freedom, and developer of a dozen national surveys on consumer privacy in health care, sits on the Advisory Board of Private Access. Professor Westin states: “In some ways, Private Access’ approach and technology turn the traditional paradigm on its head. Instead of arguing over what should or shouldn’t be private, the Private Access technology lets the consumer decide to whom they want to give what portion of their confidential informatio, and for what purpose.”

“Our technology puts patients in control of who can see their confidential medical information and for what purposes,” said Robert Shelton, Founder and CEO of Private Access. “Individuals are able to give private access to their de-identified medical information to a single researcher, a group of researchers that are known to a trusted intermediary such as an associated advocacy group, or to researchers in general. The patient can also provide their contact details to one or a specified group of researchers automatically, or to restrict this information until they receive prior notification and have granted their consent. We’ve built this technology specifically to focus on the needs of individuals to protect their personal privacy and to grant hese sorts of highly selective private access rights in a secure environment.”

Private Access has already invested over $3 million to build and launch its first generation technology. Designed as a plug and play platform, Private Access’ core technology is available to both Private Access and third party applications that rely on and leverage the private access directives created by its user. Consent management and comprehensive audit logs, as required by HIPAA and the new HITECH legislation adopted as part of the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act earlier this year, are two other essential components of the platform and part of Private Access’ current initiatives.

“We have gathered a world class team of technologists and industry experts – as employees, advisors and partners – to design, develop and bring to market an intuitive technology that focuses on confidentiality and trusted relationships,” said Marc Kirshbaum, Private Access’ president and chief operating officer. Kirshbaum, who previously headed Experian’s Fraud & Identity Solutions business before joining Private Access in 2008, adds: “We see how numerous other applications can be improved by leveraging our platform as the hub for attaining patients’ private acess rights to otherwise strictly confidential health information. We are delighted to have Pfizer and Genetic Alliance as our initial strategic partners. These partnerships will enable us to leverage our technology to begin achieving our mission: improving care, accelerating the discovery of new treatments for diseases and chronic illnesses, and reducing health care costs.”

Private Access’ technology will be available to an increasing number of beta users for the balance of 2009, with broad release of the technology for patients, researchers and others anticipated to begin during 2010.

About Private Access
Private Access, Inc. is making it safe for sensitive personal information such as medical records to be accessible over the Internet. We accomplish this with technology that allows each person to grant private access to all or selected parts of their confidenial personal information to doctors, family members, researchers and others based on their particular needs and interests. Our people and technology platform, as well as the applications we build, are all dedicated to empowering individuals to improve the care they receive, accelerate the discovery of new treatments for diseases and chronic illnesses that affect them or others they care about, and reduce health care costs for their families and the nation. Founded in late 2006 upon issuance of its core patent, Private Access is headquartered in Irvine, California.

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About Genetic Alliance
Genetic Alliance transforms health through genetics, promoting an environment of openness centered on the health of individuals, families, and communities. Genetic Alliance brings together diverse stakeholders that create novel partnerships in advocacy; integrates individual, family, and community perspectives to improve health systems; and revolutionizes access to information to enable translation of research into services and individualized decision making. For more information about Genetic Alliance, visit http://www.geneticalliance.org.