Original from: Augurex Life Sciences
Augurex Life Sciences Corp., a leader in autoimmune biomarker-based diagnostics, today announced that it has formed a nonexclusive agreement with Quest Diagnostics, a leading provider of diagnostic information services, under which Quest will validate and offer a lab-developed test based on the Augurex 14-3-3¦Ç (eta) biomarker in the United States.
Quest intends to begin offering the test service to physicians from its advanced laboratory in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., by December 2, 2024. With a physician¡¯s order, patients interested in the test will be able to provide a blood specimen at one of over 2,000 Quest Diagnostics patient service centers in the United States.
The 14-3-3eta test aids in detecting elevated levels of the 14-3-3eta protein, which are specific for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and linked to more severe disease and joint damage risk.
¡°Reintroducing the 14-3-3eta test with Quest Diagnostics is an important step in meeting the evolving needs of RA patients and clinicians,¡± said Neil Klompas, CEO of Augurex. ¡°With the increasing recognition of 14-3-3eta as a valuable biomarker in inflammatory diseases, Quest¡¯s reintroduction of this test to physicians in the U.S. will expand access to an important tool for speeding treatment decisions.¡±
¡°Our agreement with Augurex builds on our record of innovation in autoimmune disease, which includes being the first U.S. lab provider to introduce a lab-developed test based on the Augurex 14-3-3eta biomarker more than a decade ago. We look forward to reintroducing our 14-3-3eta lab-developed test to physicians later this month,¡± said James D. Faix, M.D., Medical Director, Immunology and R&D, Quest Diagnostics.
