OraSure Technologies, Walgreens and Chronic Liver Disease Foundation to Launch Rapid Hepatitis C Testing Initiative in Support
13 Maggio 2013 - 4:00PM
OraSure Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:OSUR), Walgreens (NYSE:WAG), and
the Chronic Liver Disease Foundation announced today that they have
joined with local health organizations to offer hepatitis C (HCV)
testing with the OraQuick® HCV Rapid Test to individuals who may be
at risk for HCV infection. The testing will be available in select
Walgreens locations across 11 states in observance of National
Hepatitis Testing Day, May 19. The on-site testing, patient
education and linkage to care will be conducted by local health
organizations. National Hepatitis Testing Day was established by
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as an
opportunity to remind healthcare providers and those individuals at
risk that they should be tested for viral hepatitis.
"Today, approximately 4 million Americans are infected with
hepatitis C and the vast majority does not know it," said Dr.
Willis C. Maddrey, President of the Chronic Liver Disease
Foundation. "However, new therapies are now available that can
effectively treat and in some cases eliminate the virus from the
body, making testing for HCV – particularly among baby boomers – a
critical step in fighting this epidemic."
"Hepatitis C is a silent epidemic and these testing events can
help make a meaningful impact on prevention, treatment and
awareness," said Glen Pietrandoni, Walgreens senior manager of
virology. "By working collaboratively, we can help educate
communities on the risk factors and link people to appropriate
care."
OraQuick® HCV is the first and only FDA-approved and CLIA-waived
point of care test for detection of HCV infection in at-risk
individuals. The simple platform enables healthcare providers to
deliver a diagnosis based on lab-accurate test results in 20
minutes, using venipuncture or fingerstick blood.
"Using traditional laboratory testing, individuals typically
wait days or weeks before receiving their hepatitis C test
results," said Douglas A. Michels, President and CEO of OraSure
Technologies. "The OraQuick® HCV Rapid Test is ideal for use at the
point of care – it's easy, accessible and provides lab-accurate
results in 20 minutes – enabling individuals presumed to be
infected to be referred immediately for follow-up care."
In addition to this initiative with Walgreens and CLDF,
OraSure's OraQuick HCV Rapid Test is being deployed at public
testing events in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, New York City,
Chicago, Pittsburgh, and other cities across the U.S. in
recognition of National Hepatitis Testing Day.
For more information, including Walgreens testing locations and
hours, please visit: http://www.TestHepC.com/Walgreens.
About OraSure Technologies
OraSure Technologies is a leader in the development, manufacture
and distribution of oral fluid diagnostic and collection devices
and other technologies designed to detect or diagnose critical
medical conditions. Its innovative products include rapid tests for
the detection of antibodies to HIV and HCV at the point of care and
testing solutions for detecting various drugs of abuse. In July
2012, the Company received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration for the Company's OraQuick® In-Home HIV Test for
sale directly to consumers in the over-the-counter (OTC) market -
making it the first and only rapid OTC HIV test approved in the
U.S. In addition, the Company is a leading provider of oral fluid
sample collection, stabilization and preparation products for
molecular diagnostic applications. OraSure's portfolio of products
is sold globally to various clinical laboratories, hospitals,
clinics, community-based organizations and other public health
organizations, research and academic institutions, distributors,
government agencies, physicians' offices, and commercial and
industrial entities. The Company's products enable healthcare
providers to deliver critical information to patients, empowering
them to make decisions to improve and protect their health.
For more information on OraSure Technologies, please visit
www.orasure.com.
About Walgreens
As the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2012 sales
of $72 billion, Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) vision is to become
America's first choice for health and daily living. Each day,
Walgreens provides more than 6 million customers the most
convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and
trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and
advice in communities across America. Walgreens scope of pharmacy
services includes retail, specialty, infusion, medical facility and
mail service, along with respiratory services. These services help
improve health outcomes and lower costs for payers including
employers, managed care organizations, health systems, pharmacy
benefit managers and the public sector. The company operates 8,086
drugstores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto
Rico. Take Care Health Systems is a Walgreens subsidiary that is
the largest and most comprehensive manager of worksite health and
wellness centers and in-store convenient care clinics, with more
than 700 locations throughout the country.
About the Chronic Liver Disease Foundation
Established in 2001, the Chronic Liver Disease Foundation is a
nonprofit 501(c)(3) educational organization dedicated to providing
hepatology related continuing medical education, news and
information to healthcare professionals across the US. The CLDF is
led by a Board of Trustees comprised of nationally renowned liver
disease specialists. Furthermore, the CLDF believes that
educational programs should be developed by the specialists who are
actively involved in the research, treatment and management of a
disease. As such the CLDF has developed a network of 75 Centers of
Educational Expertise and multiple Advisory Boards who are actively
involved in program creation related to specific disease topics
which include; hemochromatosis, hepatic encephalopathy, hepatitis
B, hepatitis C, hepatocellular carcinoma, HIV co-infection, liver
transplantation and NASH/NAFLD. The CLDF's educational
opportunities are offered in a variety of formats including an
interactive web site, live meetings, teleconferences, print pieces,
webcasts and other electronic mediums. For more information, please
visit www.chronicliverdisease.org.
CONTACT: Media Contact:
Jennifer Moritz
Zer0 to 5ive for OraSure Technologies
917-748-4006
jmoritz@0to5.com
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