Press
Room
LabCorp® Licenses
Arcturus' Technology for Characterization of Tumor Cells of
Unknown Primary Origin
Partnership Expands Access
to New Diagnostic Tool for Cancer-treating Physicians
BURLINGTON, N.C., Nov.
1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Laboratory Corporation
of America® Holdings (LabCorp®) (NYSE:
LH - News), an industry leader in oncology testing,
announced today that it has entered into an agreement
with Arcturus Bioscience, Inc. to license its
technology for cancer of unknown primary origin
(CUP) -- a 92 gene PCR-based technology for the
classification of 39 tumor types. Terms of the
multi-year agreement were not disclosed.
CUP has a reported incidence of
approximately three to ten percent of all cancer patients
in the US, corresponding to approximately 50,000 patients
per year who present with a biopsy proven tumor. It is
one of the top ten most common cancer diagnoses, and
the fourth most common cause of cancer mortality. Even
utilizing modern pathologic and imaging procedures, the
frequency of detection of the origin of the tumor site
remains low. Less than 20 percent of CUP patients have
the site of origin identified, leaving the remaining
patients undiagnosed on completion of evaluation.
"Primary diagnosis is important in treating malignant diseases since predictions
about tumor behavior and determination of appropriate therapy are based on the
primary tumor site," said Myla Lai-Goldman, M.D., Executive Vice President,
Chief Scientific Officer and Medical Director of LabCorp. "Even with metastasis,
some neoplasms may still be responsive to therapy. By offering new, leading-edge
diagnostic services that address unmet clinical needs such as CUP, LabCorp continues
to help physicians make better treatment decisions for their patients."
About LabCorp
Laboratory Corporation of America® Holdings, an S&P 500 company with
a BBB investment-grade credit rating, is a pioneer in commercializing new diagnostic
technologies and the first in its industry to embrace genomic testing. With annual
revenues of $3.1 billion in 2004, approximately 24,500 employees nationwide,
and more than 220,000 clients, LabCorp offers clinical assays ranging from blood
analyses to HIV and genomic testing. LabCorp combines its expertise in innovative
clinical testing technology with its Centers of Excellence: The Center for Molecular
Biology and Pathology, in Research Triangle Park, NC; National Genetics Institute,
Inc. in Los Angeles, CA; ViroMed Laboratories, Inc. based in Minneapolis, MN;
The Center for Esoteric Testing in Burlington, NC; DIANON Systems, Inc. based
in Stratford, CT, US LABS based in Irvine, CA, and Esoterix and its Colorado
Coagulation, Endocrine Sciences, and Cytometry Associates laboratories. LabCorp
clients include physicians, government agencies, managed care organizations,
hospitals, clinical labs, and pharmaceutical companies. To learn more about LabCorp,
please visit: www.LabCorp.com.
Each of the above forward-looking
statements is subject to change based on various important
factors, including without limitation, competitive actions
in the marketplace and adverse actions of governmental
and other third-party payors. Actual results could differ
materially from those suggested by these forward-looking
statements. Further information on potential factors
that could affect LabCorp's financial results is included
in the Company's Form 10- K for the year ended December
31, 2004 and subsequent SEC filings.
Source: Laboratory Corporation
of America Holdings
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