Sera Prognostics Enters into Agreement with LabCorp to be the Exclusive U.S. Distributor of PreTRM® Test
January 10 2017 - 7:00AM
Sera Prognostics, Inc., a woman’s healthcare company, announced
today that it has entered into a strategic collaboration with
Laboratory Corporation of America® Holdings (LabCorp®) (NYSE:LH), a
world leading life sciences company, to be the exclusive U.S.
distributor of Sera’s PreTRM® test. PreTRM is the first and only
clinically-validated blood test that provides an early and
individualized prediction of preterm birth risk.
In addition, LabCorp will lead Sera’s $40 million Series C
financing. Proceeds from the Series C financing, which includes
existing investors, enable Sera to continue building clinical
evidence to support reimbursement and insurance coverage decisions,
as well as expand commercialization nationwide for the PreTRM test.
Sera plans to leverage LabCorp’s market leading position in NIPT,
women’s healthcare and reproductive genetics and its nationwide
network of 1,750 patient service centers to make PreTRM broadly
accessible to physicians and patients concerned about preterm birth
risk.
“We are very excited to enter into this collaboration with
LabCorp to expand our reach in the maternal fetal medicine
community, enabling us to further educate both physicians and
patients on the value of knowing the risk, early in pregnancy, of
premature birth,” said Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D., M.S., chairman
and chief executive officer of Sera Prognostics. “As highlighted by
two recent publications, experts state that use of biomarker
testing is ‘a dominant strategy’ for addressing the negative impact
of prematurity. We are confident that with this financing and
collaboration, Sera can realize its vision of improving neonatal
health and associated economics in the U.S. and worldwide.”
Sera initiated a targeted launch of PreTRM with limited
commercial access in select geographies in 2016 and will expand the
test’s availability nationwide in 2017 in partnership with
LabCorp.
“Sera’s PreTRM test is a unique offering and one that has the
potential to change the way prematurity is identified and treated
today,” said David P. King, chairman and chief executive officer of
LabCorp. “The collaboration with Sera expands our ability to
provide patients and physicians with one source for the most
complete range of testing options in women’s health, in support of
our mission to improve health and improve lives.”
“As a market leader in NIPT, women’s health and reproductive
genetics, LabCorp brings a significant depth of experience
that will help expand the commercialization of PreTRM.
Together, we are working toward reducing the social and
economic burden of prematurity by more accurately predicting
preterm birth risk and providing both physicians and patients the
opportunity to intervene earlier to address prematurity risk, with
the goal of improving the lives of women and their babies,” said
Dr. Critchfield.
About Preterm Birth
According to the March of Dimes, globally preterm birth affects
15 million infants each year, with 1 million deaths occurring from
prematurity. Of nearly 4 million babies born annually in the
U.S., approximately one in ten is born prematurely. Preterm birth
is defined as any birth before 37 weeks gestation, and is the
leading cause of illness and death in newborns. Prematurity is
associated with a significantly increased risk of major long-term
medical complications, including learning disabilities, cerebral
palsy, chronic respiratory illness, intellectual disability,
seizures, and vision and hearing loss, and can generate significant
costs throughout the lives of affected children.
About the PreTRM® Test
The PreTRM® test is the first and only clinically validated
blood test that provides an early and individual risk prediction
for spontaneous preterm birth in asymptomatic, singleton
pregnancies. The PreTRM test measures and analyzes proteins in the
blood that are highly predictive of preterm birth. The PreTRM
test can help physicians identify early in the pregnancy (as early
as 19 weeks of gestation) which women are at increased risk for
premature delivery, enabling more informed clinical decisions based
on each woman’s individual risk. The PreTRM test enables
researchers to better understand the causes of preterm birth and to
develop new therapies to improve newborn health.
The PreTRM test is ordered by a medical professional.
For more information about the PreTRM test, please visit
www.PreTRM.com and the PreTRM test YouTube Channel. You can
also join the conversation on Facebook and @PreTRM.
About Sera Prognostics, Inc.
Sera Prognostics, a women’s health company, develops innovative
diagnostic tests focused on the early prediction of preterm birth
(PTB) risk and other complications of pregnancy. Sera has launched
its PreTRM® test, the first and only clinically validated blood
test to accurately predict early in pregnancy the risk of premature
birth. The test objectively reports to the physician the risk of
premature delivery, enabling earlier proactive interventions
designed to prolong gestation and improve neonatal health outcomes.
Sera’s technology addresses both the health and economic challenges
of PTB. The Company’s strong management team has significant
clinical development and women's healthcare diagnostic experience.
Sera is backed by highly respected healthcare investors, including
Domain Associates, InterWest Partners, Catalyst Health Ventures,
and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Currently, Sera is
working with the Gates Foundation to translate the Company’s
discoveries into technologies well suited for low-income countries
in its journey to improve maternal and infant health globally. Sera
Prognostics is located in Salt Lake City, Utah. For more
information, please visit the company's website at
www.seraprognostics.com.
Company Contact:
Andrew Sauter, CFO
Sera Prognostics, Inc.
info@seraprognostics.com
(801) 990-0772
Media Contact for Sera Prognostics:
Terri Clevenger
Continuum Health Communications
tclevenger@continuumhealthcom.com
(203) 856-4326
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