|
|
 |
| Contacts: |
Sharon Tetlow
diaDexus
(408) 330-5003
stetlow@diadexus.com |
|
Quest Diagnostics
Gary Samuels (Media)
(201) 393-5700 |
|
|
 |
|
| Cathy Doherty Investors
201-393-5030 | | |
DIADEXUS GRANTS LICENSE TO QUEST DIAGNOSTICS FOR NOVEL
GENOMICS-BASED OSTEOPOROSIS DIAGNOSTIC TEST
South San Francisco, CA and Teterboro, NJ - November
21, 2001 - diaDexus, Inc., a privately-held biotechnology company, and Quest
Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE: DGX), the nation's leading provider of
gene-based medical testing, announced today that diaDexus has licensed its novel
proprietary Cathepsin K genomics-based diagnostic blood test to Quest
Diagnostics for the detection and monitoring of osteoporosis.
Quest Diagnostics exercised its option under a previous
agreement and has obtained exclusive rights to develop and commercialize the
Cathepsin K test in its laboratory facilities in the United States and certain
international territories. Under the terms of this license, diaDexus will
receive an upfront licensing fee and royalties on future sales, and retain
rights to develop a test for certain markets in the future.
Cathepsin K is a protein implicated in the resorption of bone
matrix, which is important in the dynamic process of bone remodeling. As a
result, Cathepsin K may be used as a marker for osteoporosis, an often
debilitating and costly disease. Collaborative studies are planned to confirm
the clinical utility of Cathepsin K as a marker for osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis, or porous bone disease, is characterized by low
bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue, leading to bone fragility
and an increased susceptibility to fractures of the hip, spine and wrist.
According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, 10 million individuals have
the disease and 18 million more have low bone mass. Approximately 80% of those
affected by osteoporosis are women.
About diaDexus
diaDexus, based in South San Francisco, California, is focused on translating
genomic sequence data into novel diagnostic and therapeutic products. diaDexus
has utilized genomics and bioinformatics to identify thousands of
disease-associated molecular targets. Currently diaDexus has three diagnostic
product candidates in late-stage pre-clinical development. For more information,
please visit www.diadexus.com.
About Quest Diagnostics
Quest Diagnostics is the nation's leading provider of diagnostic testing,
information and services with $3.4 billion in annual revenues. The company's
diagnostic testing yields information that enables health care professionals and
consumers to make better decisions to improve health. Quest Diagnostics offers
patients and physicians the broadest access to diagnostic testing services
through its national network of approximately 30 full-service laboratories, 150
rapid response laboratories and more than 1,300 patient service centers, where
specimens are collected. Quest Diagnostics is the leading provider of esoteric
testing, including gene-based testing, and is the leader in routine medical
testing, drugs of abuse testing, and non-hospital-based anatomic pathology
testing. Quest Diagnostics empowers health care organizations and clinicians
with state-of-the-art connectivity solutions that improve practice management.
Through partnerships with pharmaceutical, biotechnology and information
technology companies, Quest Diagnostics provides support to help speed the
development of health care insights and new therapeutics. Additional company
information can be found on the Internet at: www.questdiagnostics.com.
The statements in this press release which are not historical
facts or information may be forward-looking statements. These forward-looking
statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause the outcome to be
materially different. Certain of these risks and uncertainties are listed in the
Quest Diagnostics Incorporated 2000 Form 10-K and subsequent filings.
|
 |
|
 |