There’s a new lab company in New York City. Manhattan Physicians Laboratory, Inc. (MPL) was recently launched by two former executives from Quest Diagnostics Incorporated. Thomas Golubic is MPL’s President and William Nouri is Vice President and Lab Operations Director. Both executives worked at Quest Diagnostics for 20 years. Last month, MPL disclosed that it had acquired Genatom, Inc., a laboratory in Roseland, New Jersey, that provides clinical lab services to clients in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. Trevi Health Ventures is providing MPL with approximately $20 million in venture capital funding.
NEW BLOOD TEST FOR COLORECTAL CANCER
GeneNews Limited, a company in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada, announced its new blood-based molecular test for colorectal cancer. Called ColonSentry, the test assesses a patient’s risk of having colorectal cancer by identifying patients who are asymptomatic but who might benefit from more invasive diagnostic testing, such as colonoscopy. By analyzing a blood sample, the test evaluates the mRNA expression of a panel of seven specific genes by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). This new test is another example of how new diagnostic technologies are able to utilize different types of specimens, such as blood, to detect cancer.
CALIF. REGULATORS SEND COMPLIANCE LETTER TO DNA DIRECT
On July 31, DNA Direct of San Francisco, California, announced it had received a letter from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) stating that it is operating in compliance with state laboratory law. The letter said DNA Direct’s tests are performed: 1) only with a physician order, 2) are conducted at licensed laboratories; and 3) that DNA Direct gives validated interpretations of results directly to individuals ordering the tests. In recent months, state regulators in California and New York have taken steps to control genetic testing offered to consumers by Internet-based companies. (See TDR July 7, 2008.)
TRANSITIONS
- George Poste, D.V.M., Ph.D, F.R.C. Path, F.R.S., was named Non-Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Scientific Advisor of CDX Holdings and Non-Executive Chairman of CMDx on August 1. CDX Holdings, of Irving, Texas, is a new company that is the parent company of Caris Diagnostics (Caris Dx) and Car is Molecular Diagnostics (CMDx). Poste has been a director of Caris Dx since 2006.
Dark Daily Update
Have you caught the latest e-briefings from DARK Daily? If so, then you’d know about…
…anatomic pathology condo lab operator UroPath, Inc.’s sale to HealthTronics, Inc. of Austin, Texas, in a deal valued at $7.5 million. Medicare anti- markup rules played a role in timing of the sale.
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