KIRKLAND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Prevencio, Inc., today announces data that demonstrates a simple new blood test accurately diagnoses significant Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), a circulatory problem in which plaque-narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to a patient’s limbs and kidneys. If left untreated, PAD can lead to clogged arteries and increase the risk of a major cardiac event or amputation. Researchers believe the data, presented at American Heart Association 2017 Scientific Sessions, could lead to the use of this test as a gatekeeper to imaging or invasive testing, thus reducing cost and exposures to intravenous contrast and/or ionizing radiation.
In the study, Massachusetts General Hospital and Prevencio researchers developed and validated a multi-protein blood test, HART™ PAD, that identifies the presence of PAD and predicts the need for a future medical intervention. Principal Investigator James L. Januzzi, MD, is a practicing cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.
Januzzi and a team of researchers tested 355 patients referred for diagnostic peripheral angiography and/or coronary angiography to Massachusetts General Hospital. When divided into low-risk and high-risk categories, the test predicted with 98% accuracy to exclude obstruction of the peripheral arteries. Additionally, the test predicted with 86% accuracy to identify obstruction of the peripheral arteries.
“This blood test may allow for the diagnosis and treatment of many more patients with PAD,” said Januzzi. “And in addition to the opportunity for more appropriate care of patients, we believe it could benefit more cardiac clinical trials, by saving time and thereby lowering overall trial costs.”
PAD affects more than 202 million people globally and is often underdiagnosed and undertreated until the disease has reached its advanced stages. In addition to the HART PAD test, Prevencio is developing a multi-protein blood test, HART AMP, to specifically identify a patient’s risk for amputation.
“We are pleased to work with Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr. Januzzi and his researchers, and Myriad RBM to develop novel and highly accurate blood tests to improve diagnosis and treatment for millions of cardiovascular patients,” stated Rhonda Rhyne, Prevencio’s Chief Executive Officer. “It is also highly rewarding to work with pharmaceutical companies to improve drug development and decrease clinical trial expenses.”
Prevencio employs Machine Learning, a state-of-the-art sub-set of Artificial Intelligence, and Big Data Analytics to interrogate well-characterized clinical data sets. Prevencio employs this novel approach to power a product development engine that now has produced five blood tests.
These tests are:
1. HART CAD™ – blood test for obstructive coronary artery disease diagnosis
2. HART CVE™ – blood test for 1-year risk of heart attack, stroke or cardiac death
3. HART PAD™ – blood test for peripheral artery disease diagnosis
4. HART AS™ – blood test for aortic valve stenosis
5. HART AMP™ – blood test for risk of amputation
Results have been presented at leading cardiovascular meetings (European Society of Cardiology Congress Scientific Sessions – 2016, American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions – 2017, and American Heart Association Scientific Sessions – 2017) and published in top-tier cardiology journals (Journal of American College of Cardiology – March 2017 and American Journal of Cardiology – July 2017).
About Prevencio, Inc.:
Prevencio’s mission is to prevent the preventable - improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs by preventing unnecessary cardiovascular procedures and procedure-related side effects, as well as predicting — and hopefully thereby preventing — one year adverse cardiovascular events. The company is a pioneer in diagnostic and predictive tests for cardiovascular disease and related adverse events, as well as for cardiovascular pharmaceutical research. Prevencio’s proprietary HART™ Tests are leading the way in the proteomics and artificial intelligence era of improving cardiovascular medical care. The company is headquartered in Kirkland, Washington. For additional information on Prevencio, visit www.PrevencioMed.com. Prevencio—Preventing the Preventable.™
About American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions:
AHA's Scientific Sessions attracts nearly 18,000 attendees, with a global presence from more than 100 countries. In addition, two million medical professionals participate virtually in lectures and discussions about basic, translational, clinical and population science.
Forward-Looking (Safe Harbor) Statement:
Except for historical and factual information contained herein, this press release contains forward-looking statements, such as market need, acceptance, size, potential, and penetration rates, the accuracy of which is necessarily subject to uncertainties and risks including the Company’s sole dependence on HART technology and various uncertainties characteristic of development-stage companies. The Company does not undertake to update the disclosures contained in this press release.
