-First national diagnostic testing company to license proprietary technology-
MADISON, N.J., Oct. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Quest Diagnostics
Incorporated (NYSE: DGX), the nation's leading provider of diagnostic testing,
information and services, announced today that it has entered into a non-
exclusive license agreement for the heteroduplex tracking technology
underlying Pathway Diagnostics' SensiTrop(TM) HIV co-receptor tropism test.
Tropism refers to the way a virus targets host cells. A molecular-based assay
for HIV co-receptor tropism will help physicians personalize therapy for HIV
patients. Quest Diagnostics is the first full-service national clinical
laboratory in the U.S. to license the technology. Terms of the agreement were
not disclosed.
"Pathway Diagnostics' heteroduplex tracking technology is an important new
advance that highlights the growing importance of diagnostics to personalized
medicine," said Joyce G. Schwartz, M.D., vice president and chief laboratory
officer. "HIV co-receptor tropism tests can help physicians identify which
patients, of the estimated 500,000 people in the U.S. being treated for HIV
infection, will benefit from entry inhibitor drugs, the latest development in
life-enhancing anti-retroviral therapies."
Pathway Diagnostics' SensiTrop technology is designed to enable physicians
to identify the HIV co-receptor tropism status of a patient infected with HIV,
the virus that causes AIDS. HIV co-receptor tropism refers to the preference
of strains of HIV to bind, activate and infect cells, promoting disease
progression, according to the type of co-receptor, specifically CXCR4 (X4) and
CCR5 (R5), on the surface of the cell. Entry inhibitor anti-retroviral drugs,
such as Pfizer's Selzentry(TM) therapy, which is the first in its class to be
FDA approved, block the CCR5 co-receptor to inhibit disease progression.
Selzentry clinical trials showed that patients infected with CXCR4 or
X4/R5 viral mixtures were at an increased risk for treatment failure taking
Selzentry, and therefore should not receive the drug. Pathway Diagnostics'
technology detects the CXCR4 HIV co-receptor in patient samples that have as
little as one percent CXCR4-tropic virus, enabling physicians to identify with
a high degree of accuracy those patients with X4-tropic virus who are unlikely
to benefit from, and should not receive, treatment with entry inhibitor
therapies. The heteroduplex tracking technology, which is molecular based,
also can yield test results within seven days of receiving a specimen,
compared to up to four weeks to receive results with cellular-based methods.
During the first quarter 2008, Quest Diagnostics expects to develop an in-
house laboratory validated assay based on the licensed technology. Until then
and beginning November 1, 2007, physicians may order SensiTrop through Quest
Diagnostics, which will refer the test to Pathway Diagnostics.
"Offering a molecular-based HIV co-receptor tropism assay through Quest
Diagnostics will give the greatest number of patients the opportunity to take
advantage of Selzentry and future drug therapies in its class," said Walter
Narajowski, chief executive officer, Pathway Diagnostics. "Quest Diagnostics'
top-tier scientific and medical staff track record of quality, innovation, and
service excellence distinguishes it as a front runner in the race to provide
diagnostics that will help physicians potentially delay disease progression
and the onset of AIDS in their HIV-infected patients."
About HIV and AIDS
HIV, or the human immunodeficiency virus, is a retrovirus that infects
cells of the human immune system, destroying or impairing their function. The
most advanced stage of HIV infection is AIDS, or acquired immunodeficiency
syndrome. HIV can take up to 15 years to develop into AIDS, a process that
antiretroviral drugs can help delay. The World Health Organization estimates
that approximately 1.2 million people over the age of 15 in the U.S. were
infected with HIV in 2005, the most recent year for which data is available.
About Pathway Diagnostics
Pathway Diagnostics Corporation focuses on the development, validation and
performance of novel, proprietary biomarker assays across multiple disease
areas that address unmet medical needs and improve patient care. The company
combines assay development expertise with a broad range of advanced technology
platforms, a fully licensed CLIA laboratory, and a growing portfolio of
patent-protected biomarkers for pharmaceutical companies to use in drug
development and for commercial reference laboratories and in vitro diagnostic
manufacturers to license for use in patient testing. Pathway effectively
bridges the gap between biomarker research and biomarker testing, as well as
ensures a regulatory-compliant environment for laboratory testing for
preclinical and clinical drug development programs. Additional company
information is available at www.pathwaydx.com.
About Quest Diagnostics
Quest Diagnostics is the leading provider of diagnostic testing,
information and services that patients and doctors need to make better
healthcare decisions. The company offers the broadest access to diagnostic
testing services through its national network of laboratories and patient
service centers, and provides interpretive consultation through its extensive
medical and scientific staff. Quest Diagnostics is a pioneer in developing
innovative new diagnostic tests and advanced healthcare information technology
solutions that help improve patient care. Additional company information is
available at www.questdiagnostics.com.
Quest Diagnostics is a registered trademark of Quest Diagnostics.
All other trademarks are the property of the respective third parties.
This communication contains certain forward-looking statements. These
forward-looking statements, which may include, but are not limited to,
statements concerning the proposed acquisition, are based on management's
current expectations and estimates and involve risks and uncertainties that
could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those
contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Certain of these risks and
uncertainties may include, but are not limited to the risks and uncertainties
described in the Quest Diagnostics Incorporated 2006 Form 10-K and subsequent
filings.
SOURCE Quest Diagnostics Incorporated
CONTACT: Investors: Laure Park, +1-973-520-2900,
or Media: Nancy Fitzsimmons, +1-973-520-2800,
both of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated
Web site: http://www.questdiagnostics.com
http://www.pathwaydx.com /