Personalizing diagnostic medicine
- We co-developed OVA1™ with Vermillion. OVA1 is the first FDA-cleared blood test that can help physicians determine, prior to surgery, if a woman is at risk for a malignant ovarian mass. This test helps physicians refer women to the most appropriate surgeon, potentially driving improved outcomes. Medicare has indicated it will cover this important test.
- We offer a full range of testing for colorectal cancer, from identifying a patient’s predisposition to disease to screening to determining therapy and monitoring treatment. Our new EGFR pathway test helps physicians identify patients who are believed to be unresponsive to anti-EGFR therapies, such as Erbitux® and Vectibix.® It is the first laboratory-developed test from a national commercial reference laboratory for comprehensively identifying important genetic mutations in the KRAS, NRAS and BRAF genes.
- We introduced the first saliva-based test that determines whether a patient’s genetic makeup makes them a poor metabolizer of the anti-clotting drug Plavix®, which is one of the world’s largest pharmaceuticals by revenue. The FDA recently indicated that Plavix can be less effective in patients who do not metabolize the drug well, and our genetic test gives physicians crucial information to help personalize therapy decisions.
- Our new HIV tropism test is helping physicians identify suitable patients for the latest class of HIV antiretroviral therapies and ensure those who are not suitable do not lose precious treatment time potentially better spent on a different drug. The HIV-1 Coreceptor Tropism Test, which reports results in approximately half the time of the nearest competing test, provides physicians with timely information so they may more quickly personalize therapy based on how the HIV virus infects cells in the individual patient.
In addition to developing new tests, our scientists also present original research that is helping to inform the future of diagnostic medicine. During 2009 we presented groundbreaking papers on chronic myeloid leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, prostate cancer, Fragile X syndrome and cystic fibrosis.
We continue to innovate in service delivery as a way to differentiate ourselves from the competition. We introduced a number of service enhancements during 2009. For example, physician customers appreciate our specimen tracking capability, which enables us to locate specimens at any point during their journey to our laboratory.
A leader in healthcare information
Our industry-leading healthcare IT solutions separate us from the competition and are improving patient safety and increasing efficiency for healthcare providers.
Today more than 160,000 physicians use our Care360™ suite of connectivity solutions to order lab tests, share clinical information with other healthcare providers quickly and securely, and prescribe drugs. We have been helping physicians adopt solutions that will meet the definition of “meaningful use,” so they can qualify for government incentives encouraging the increased use of technology in healthcare.