Laboratory Corporation of America-Registered Trademark- Holdings
358 South Main Street
Burlington, NC 27215
Telephone: 336-584-5171
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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Contact: 336-436-4855 Shareholder Direct: 800-LAB-0401
Pamela Sherry www.labcorp.com
LABCORP OFFERS EXPANDED PHARMACOGENOMIC SERVICES
BURLINGTON, N.C., June 12, 2000 - The clinical trials testing
division of Laboratory Corporation of America-Registered
Trademark- Holdings (LabCorp-Registered Trademark-; NYSE: LH) is
expanding its established genetic testing capabilities to offer
pharmacogenomic services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology
companies. Pharmacogenomics involves the use of human DNA
sequence variability in the development and prescription of drugs
to improve their safety and efficacy. LabCorp incorporates
pharmacogenomic testing into clinical trials, where it can be
used to correlate patient genotypes to drug responses or clinical
endpoints.
LabCorp has applied pharmacogenomic testing in both
infectious diseases and oncology. LabCorp was the first clinical
trial central laboratory to provide HIV phenotyping and
genotyping to determine drug resistance. LabCorp also performed
gene amplification and protein overexpession testing for trials
of Genentech's breast cancer drug, Herceptin-Registered Trademark-
, utilizing patient stratification to improve drug efficacy. In
addition, it has assisted drug discovery companies with genetic
method development and pre-clinical, single nucleotide
polymorphism (SNP) identification and characterization.
"Pharmacogenomics promises a revolution in patient testing
that will result in a new paradigm of medical care where
therapeutic regimens are safer and more effective," said Scott
Neilson, vice president and general manager of LabCorp's clinical
trials division. "In the process, it will greatly increase the
complexity of testing in clinical trials. This will require
central laboratories to be at the leading edge of molecular
biology and genetic testing. Given our experience in
pharmacogenomic testing for clinical trials, we are uniquely
positioned to support clients' drug development efforts."
By collaborating with a number of genomics companies,
LabCorp plans to gain broader access to novel genetic markers and
technology platforms, which it will in turn apply to developing
and validating genetic tests for use in clinical trials.
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"By focusing on the assay development expertise of our
Center for Molecular Biology and Pathology, we are able to offer
pharmacogenomic tests using multiple methodologies and
platforms," explained David Johnston, Ph.D., chief scientific
officer for LabCorp clinical trials. "This provides our
pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners access to the latest
technologies in one location. Because we are not limited to
single instrument platform or genomics partnership, we can give
our clients a variety of approaches that best meet the needs of
their studies."
LabCorp employs innovative molecular and biochemical
genetics techniques to provide pharmacogenetic testing for
CYP450, pharmacogenomic assay development, GLP method validation,
SNP genotyping, gene expression analysis, genostratification, and
monitoring molecular genetic surrogate markers during clinical
trials. Its nationwide network of 2,700 patient service centers
facilitates collection of DNA samples for extraction and storage
for future pharmacogenomic studies.
Based in Raritan, N.J., LabCorp's clinical trials division
is a leading central laboratory supporting global pharmaceutical,
biotechnology, and medical device clinical trials with method
development and a broad menu of safety and efficacy testing from
drug discovery through phase IV.
With headquarters in Burlington, N.C., Laboratory
Corporation of America-Registered Trademark- Holdings is a
national clinical laboratory organization, which operates
facilities for conducting clinical assays and diagnostic testing
throughout the U.S. The company had 1999 revenues of $1.7
billion and employs approximately 18,000.
The Company noted that 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 payers. Further information on potential factors that could
affect the Company's financial results is included in the
Company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1999 and
subsequent SEC filings.
For further information, business/financial reporters should
contact Pam Sherry, Laboratory Corporation of America-Registered
Trademark- Holdings, 358 South Main Street, Burlington, NC 27215,
phone: 336-436-4855, e-mail: [email protected]. Trade journal
reporters should contact Amy Smith, Worldwide Marketing Manager,
Clinical Trials, LabCorp, 69 First Avenue, Raritan, NJ 08869;
phone: 908-526-2400, e-mail: [email protected].
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