The University of Minnesota has licensed a test for lupus to Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (NYSE:LH).
Developed by Emily Baechler Gillespie, an assistant professor of medicine at the university’s medical school, the test can help doctors proactively treat symptoms of lupus, a painful autoimmune disease.
Like other autoimmune disorders, lupus occurs when the body’s immune system attacks its own tissue, causing inflammation, pain and organ damage.
Behavioral Health, Interoperability and eConsent: Meeting the Demands of CMS Final Rule Compliance
In a webinar on April 16 at 1pm ET, Aneesh Chopra will moderate a discussion with executives from DocuSign, Velatura, and behavioral health providers on eConsent, health information exchange and compliance with the CMS Final Rule on interoperability.
At least 1.5 million people in the United States suffer from lupus, primarily African American women of childbearing age, according to the Lupus Foundation of America.
Lupus patients suffer from “flares,” when symptoms suddenly appear and worsen quickly. Until now, there has been no way for doctors to predict a flare until it occured. By then, the disease already has done serious damage.
Using algorithms (advanced mathematical equations), Gillespie and her team developed a test that analyzes blood samples for a panel of four chemokines — groups of proteins that are released by an activated immune system.
Changes in chemokine levels could indicate a flare, which allows doctors to adjust treatments accordingly.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
LabCorp is one of the country’s largest diagnostics companies that provides services ranging from routine blood analysis, to HIV and genomic testings. Last year, the company generated $4.7 billion in revenue.
In September, LabCorp said it would pay $795 million to purchase Genzyme Genetics, a business unit of Genzyme Corp. (NASDAQ:GENZ) that specializes in reproductive and oncology testing.
One of LabCorp’s chief competitors is MedTox Scientific Inc. (NASDAQ:MTOX) in St. Paul.
