PGxl News

PGXL/Laboratories and its sister company, PGXL/Technologies, have entered into a joint venture with Appian Partners LLC of Severna Park, Maryland, and Vanguard Technologies LLC, of Boston, Massachusetts, to develop and commercialize a patented set of diagnostic biomarkers for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). The joint venture company, NuSomnea LLC, will locate corporate offices in Maryland and conduct research and development in Kentucky.

“The successful development and commercialization of this diagnostic test has the possibility to change the way pediatric sleep medicine is practiced globally,” says Dr. Roland Valdes, Jr., chairman of PGXL. “It will make life easier for parents who have children suspected of having sleep apnea. Our goal is to demonstrate how our innovative technology can deliver superior clinical and financial outcomes to payors, parents, physicians, and hospitals.”

For additional information, click here.

The University of Louisville Foundation has made a “substantial” equity investment in PGXL, helping to fund the expansion of the lab’s human and technological infrastructures.

“Not only will the success of the company benefit thousands of patients, but it also will create new employment opportunities and economic impact,” according to Dr. James Ramsey, UL Foundation President.

Press release here.

PGXL will provide laboratory services for SK Life Science, which manages global clinical trials of new drugs. The contract will require rapid and accurate performance of large numbers of tests.

SK Life Sciences is a subsidiary of SK Biopharmaceuticals Co., Ltd.

Press release here.

PGXL has received a $200,000 forgivable loan from the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority to purchase capital equipment. Governor Steve Beshear announced the loan yesterday, citing PGXL as an “excellent example” of growth in the Commonwealth. The money will be used to add capacity and redundancy to PGXL’s equipment infrastructure.

“Personalized medicine is growing astronomically,” says Dr. Roland Valdes, Jr., PGXL’s President. “We’re ahead of that growth curve and we intend to stay there. Our clients need never worry about our ability to support their success.”

Construction started yesterday on PGXL’s expansion. When we’re done, the lab will have three times as much floor space and there will be offices for the expanded business staff. Arrival date is early spring.

The National Institutes for Health has awarded a $3 million grant to PGXL to conduct clinical trials of PerMIT:Warfarin, a software that is designed to help physicians incorporate genetic information into the treatment of their patients.

Beginning approximately in January, PerMIT will be used in carefully controlled clinical settings, in a study designed to prove (or disprove) that it decreases adverse drug reactions and reduces the time it takes to get a patient to the desired INR.

You can read the full press release here.

Drug Topics: The News Magazine for Pharmacists interviews Dr. Valdes and Dr. Linder about the CYP2C19 gene as an indicator of Plavix sensitivity.

On March 12, FDA added a boxed warning to the clopidogrel label, highlighting “reduced effectiveness in patients who are poor metabolizers of Plavix” and encouraging physicians to consider another product and/or to test their patients for the biomarker before prescribing the drug.

The drive to incorporate pharmacogenetic information into diagnosis and treatment will come, ultimately, from physicians.

Although controversy over retail genetic testing for consumers has been in the spotlight lately, Mark Linder, PhD, vice president and co-founder of PGXL laboratories, said, “We believe genetic testing needs to be ordered and authorized by a physician,” adding that this “keeps the physician at the center of patient care.”

Read the rest of the article here.

They say nice things about us, which we appreciate. Here.

Generation Health, the Genetic Benefits Management company partially owned by CVS/Caremark, has selected PGXL as a preferred provider of genetic testing services.

“PGXL was the first lab to be CLIA-certified exclusively for pharmacogenetics testing and we’re pleased that PGXL is part of our Best Test™ laboratory network,” said GH Chief Executive Officer Rick Schatzberg. “We believe PGXL‘s long-standing clinical expertise and their commitment to provide caregivers the most accurate and timely pharmacogenetic tests possible strengthens our ability to provide our clients with the best genetic laboratory network available.”

Press release here.