New Clinical Diagnostic Tests to Be Developed

New clinical diagnostic tests are to be developed in the areas of companion diagnostics, metabolic syndrome, oncology, and diabetes.

Companion diagnostics are tests designed to identify the suitability of a particular drug therapy for individual patients. The tests are used in personalized medicine to improve safety and efficacy of therapeutic drugs and in some cases, to help determine optimal dosing for individual patients. Metabolic syndrome is characterized by a person having multiple risk factors such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. It is estimated that more than 50 million people are affected by this syndrome in the United States alone.

Diabetes is a chronic disease currently affecting more than 180 million people worldwide and is likely to more than double by 2030. Early detection and treatment of diabetes may enable a patient to better maintain his or her lifestyle. The early detection of cancer is important as it may lead to higher survival rates. One in eight deaths worldwide is due to cancer, and in 2007, there were more than 12 million estimated new cancer cases worldwide.

Siemens Healthcare (Deerfield, IL, USA) and Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (LabCorp; Burlington, NC, USA) have entered a non-exclusive agreement to discuss the development of the new clinical diagnostic tests. Under the agreement, initial discussions will focus on developing new tests that could make the biggest impact to patient care.

Siemens Healthcare is a fully integrated diagnostics company, bringing together imaging and lab diagnostics, therapy, and healthcare information-technology systems, supplemented by consulting and support services. Siemens Healthcare provides solutions across the entire continuum of care--from prevention and early detection, to diagnosis, therapy, and care.

Laboratory Corporation of America commercializes new diagnostic technologies offering clinical assays ranging from routine blood analyses to HIV and genomic testing. LabCorp clients include physicians, government agencies, managed care organizations, hospitals, clinical labs, and pharmaceutical companies.


Related Links:
Siemens Healthcare
Laboratory Corporation of America