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Tethys Bioscience Announces Expanded Availability of PreDx(TM) Diabetes Risk Test

Posted on: Saturday, 7 June 2008, 15:00 CDT

SAN FRANCISCO, June 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Tethys Bioscience, Inc. announced today at the 68th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) that it has expanded the availability of its novel PreDx(TM) Diabetes Risk Test, a first-of-its-kind predictive tool that delivers an accurate assessment of an individual's risk of developing Type 2 diabetes within the next five years. The test is performed exclusively by the Tethys Bioscience Clinical Laboratory on routinely collected blood samples.

The new blood test is designed to help physicians identify patients at highest risk of developing Type 2 diabetes so that they can promote lifestyle changes or initiate treatment plans to prevent or slow progression to Type 2 diabetes. Numerous studies have demonstrated that such interventions can reduce the incidence of new onset diabetes by 30-60%.

"There are a number of proven methods that clinicians can use to delay or prevent Type 2 diabetes in high-risk people," said Dr. Thomas Buchanan, Professor of Medicine at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine. "The problem has been the lack of an easy-to-use clinical test to identify the high-risk people. The PreDx Diabetes Risk Test solves that problem. For the first time, clinicians can order a single blood test to assess their patients' diabetes risk and identify those who are in greatest need of diabetes prevention. This is a real paradigm shift."

Using data generated from thousands of patients who were monitored for up to 17 years, Tethys identified specific proteins and other biomarkers that are most predictive of a person's progression to Type 2 diabetes. Through comprehensive analysis of proteins and integration of multiple risk-defining biomarkers, the company developed a sophisticated test capable of stratifying at-risk individuals. Using a routine blood sample, Tethys provides an individualized risk report that indicates the likelihood of diabetes onset in a patient within the next five years.

"It is already known that we are facing a diabetes epidemic that will only grow worse in the next 10-20 years," said Dr. Sean Sullivan, Director of Pharmaceutical Outcomes Research and Policy at the University of Washington. "The ability to identify patients at high risk years ahead of disease diagnosis may allow us to halt diabetes progression, saving lives and helping to maintain or improve the quality of life for our patients, while also reducing the overall expenses associated with the disease."

"We are very proud to offer this innovative, clinically useful tool that enables physicians to accurately identify those at highest risk of developing Type 2 diabetes long before the disease occurs," said Mickey Urdea, founder, chairman, and CEO of Tethys Bioscience. "The PreDx Diabetes Risk Test can help physicians and patients to change the course of diabetes progression. Our mission is to provide tools that will facilitate early intervention in preventable diseases."

A presentation to be made at the ADA's 68th Scientific Sessions this week supports the accuracy and clinical utility of the PreDx Diabetes Risk Test. The report entitled

Training and Validation of a Multimarker Algorithm for the Prediction of Type 2 Diabetes from a 5 Yr Prospective Study of 6,784 Danish People (Inter99) J. Kolberg, et al.

shows that a simple blood test, based on multiple serum biomarkers, indicates the risk of conversion to Type 2 diabetes, which can provide doctors and patients with objective, quantitative information to intervene and prevent the onset of the disease. These results are being presented in poster format (#1019-P) from Saturday, June 7 through Monday, June 9 in Hall D of San Francisco's Moscone Convention Center. Furthermore, a number of publications concerning Tethys' work will appear in the next several months.

About Type 2 diabetes

The United States and countries throughout the world face a growing epidemic of diabetes. More than 60 million individuals are at risk for Type 2 diabetes in the U.S. alone, with more than 14.6 million diagnosed and 6.2 million remaining undiagnosed. The total annual economic cost of diabetes in the US in 2007 was estimated to be $174 billion, an increase of over 30% in the past five years.

Tethys believes that the best way to reduce the heavy economic and health burdens of diabetes is to arm people with the tools they need to understand their true risk of developing the disease. Preventing or delaying the progression to Type 2 diabetes has the potential to dramatically alter the economic and health impact of the disease.

Tethys is partnering with leading diabetes research centers and physicians to provide practical information that at-risk individuals can use to reduce their likelihood of progressing to Type 2 diabetes.

About Tethys Bioscience

Tethys Bioscience is a personalized predictive medicine company developing novel tests which address the growing global healthcare challenge of chronic diseases such as diabetes. Founded in 2005, the company incorporates an experienced management team, innovative research based on sound science, a CLIA-licensed clinical laboratory, a commercialization team with extensive experience in diagnostic innovation, strategic alliances with world-class researchers and partners, and a solid financial foundation to help transform the management of chronic diseases by providing personalized, preventive solutions that aid every constituency: patients, doctors, and the healthcare system as a whole.

The PreDx Diabetes Risk Test is performed exclusively by the Tethys Clinical Laboratory.

Contacts: Jay Kerzner Director of Communications Tethys Bioscience 510-420-6746 jkerzner@tethysbio.com Hal Mackins Media Relations for Tethys (415) 994-0040 hal.mackins@fkhealth.com

Tethys Bioscience, Inc.

CONTACT: Jay Kerzner, Director of Communications of Tethys Bioscience,+1-510-420-6746, jkerzner@tethysbio.com; or Hal Mackins, Media Relations forTethys, +1-415-994-0040, hal.mackins@fkhealth.com

Source: PRNewswire

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