BIRMINGHAM, Ala.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--VAP Diagnostics Lab, a new, independent clinical reference laboratory, has announced the formal relaunch of one of the most popular comprehensive cholesterol tests on the market, the VAP® (Vertical Auto Profile)+ Lipid Panel. With more than ten million patient results reported over the last two decades, the heart disease risk assessment and management capabilities of the VAP technology are available nationwide to physicians and their patients.
The VAP+ Lipid Panel was taken off the market in early 2016 after investors pulled support for Atherotech Diagnostics Lab, and the company was forced into Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. In order to resurrect this valuable tool, VAP Diagnostics Lab acquired rights to the VAP+ technology and assumed all of Atherotech’s debt in order to halt patient billing and collections.
“A dedicated team of people fought very hard to bring back the VAP+ Lipid Panel, and their efforts have paid off,” said Kenneth French, Director of Clinical Operations for VAP Diagnostics Lab. “We have overcome major challenges and enter the market as a new company that has international corporate backing and global distribution capabilities focused on long-term, sustainable growth.”
French said the company has emerged as a stronger organization with a renewed mission to advance heart disease research, improve treatment and put the patient and doctor first.
“Clinicians who used VAP+ Lipid Panel in the past and were accustomed to great service and 24-hour turnaround now have access to the same technology and service, but with solid corporate, financial and organizational support,” explained French.
Unlike the basic cholesterol test – which significantly underestimates LDL levels nearly half the time according to published research involving 1.3 million patients – the VAP+ Lipid Panel directly measures LDL. Accurate LDL measurement is critical for reducing disease burden and risk. In addition to accurate LDL, the VAP+ Lipid Panel reports three categories of risk: Cholesterol-rich; Triglyceride-rich; and Hereditary, which includes Lp(a).
VAP+ adheres to all major guidelines calling for accurate LDL and additional measures of cholesterol, including LDL particle number (LDL-P). This increase in accuracy and comprehensive information gives doctors and their patients a more precise picture of heart disease risk, leading to better treatment and ultimately saving lives.
As it re-enters the market, the patented, comprehensive VAP+ Lipid Panel continues to build upon a large and active body of clinical evidence that validates the importance of accurate, affordable and comprehensive cholesterol risk assessment in improving outcomes and eradicating CVD risk.
Even while the test was not available, clinical research and publications highlighting its benefits continued. Several publications demonstrated the importance of elevated remnant lipoproteins, even after adjusting for traditional risk factors, in predicting hard CVD outcomes (coronary death, myocardial infarction, stroke) in both primary and secondary risk populations. This is significant for the VAP+ Lipid Panel, as it is the only available test in the U.S. that routinely measures remnant lipoproteins. These data reinforce the power of VAP+ as a leading technology in detecting CVD risk beyond traditional cholesterol testing.
Patients, clinicians and researchers are again demanding access to the VAP+ Lipid Panel. Preliminary results of current trials suggest the VAP+ Lipid Panel will continue to have a huge impact on medical practices today, while several new clinical trials have signed on to use the test in their research.
“VAP is back and stronger than ever,” said French, “discovering hidden heart disease risk, changing lives for the better and helping manage this serious disease for tens of thousands of patients.”
The VAP+ Lipid Panel is covered by most insurance plans and available to patients and their clinicians throughout the U.S. For information on ordering VAP+ or to add it to your test menu, email customerservice@vapdiagnostics.com, call 877-901-8510 or visit http://vapdiagnostics.com. Find us on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter.
About VAP Diagnostics Lab and the VAP+ Lipid Panel
VAP Diagnostics Lab is a new, independent reference laboratory focused solely on the comprehensive VAP®+ Lipid Panel and related cardiometabolic test panels. Using direct (not estimated) measurement, VAP+ identifies cholesterol, triglyceride and genetic lipid disorders, enabling health care professionals to accurately stratify cardiovascular risk and recommend personalized treatment strategies to improve health outcomes. Vertical Auto Profile (VAP+) technology reveals residual cardiometabolic risk as recommended in the NCEP ATP III, ADA/ACC Joint Consensus and AACE guidelines. For more information, visit http://vapdiagnostics.com, email customerservice@vapdiagnostics.com or call 877-901-8510.
