Cardiac biomarker assay to be offered by Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp

The Presage^® ST2 Assay is to be offered by Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp following agreements with the company who market the test, Critical Diagnostics.

Critical Diagnostics, a US-based biotechnology company, has announced agreements with both Quest Diagnostics (and their subsidiary Berkeley HeartLab) and LabCorp to offer testing with their Presage^® ST2 assay – an FDA-approved test in assessing prognosis in chronic heart failure patients.

Quest Diagnostics/Berkeley HeartLab provide diagnostic testing through a network of laboratories and patient service centers. Similarly, LabCorp offer a range of diagnostic tests, providing their services to a wide range of clients – from physician offices to pharmaceutical companies. These new agreements allow both companies to add the ST2 assay to the wide range of diagnostic tests they currently offer.

The Presage ST2 assay measures levels of the protein ST2, shown to be elevated in cardiovascular patients with poor prognosis. As described in the press release, “chronic heart failure patients with ST2 levels above the standard cutpoint, have a three times greater risk of 30-day rehospitalization or mortality.” In this way, ST2 acts as a cardiac biomarker, informing the physician of the best course of action in heart failure patients.

President of Critical Diagnostics, James Snider, said of the agreements, “We are extremely proud to be associated with these two exceptional organizations. The Quest/Berkeley HeartLab and LabCorp collaborations, in addition to our existing clinical lab relationships, mean that physicians nationwide will now have access to Presage ST2 testing to help guide and improve heart failure patient outcomes.”

Source: Two major reference labs sign with Critical Diagnostics.