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Julie Dennehy - 508-533-8311
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Lisa Fruitt - 781-274-0330
Woburn, MA, January 10, 2005 -- Repromedix has expanded its genetic testing capabilities with the addition of the CF-48 test for Cystic Fibrosis. This advanced assay simultaneously screens for 42 cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene mutations and six variants (polymorphisms.) The gene mutations include the 25 recommended by the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG) in addition to 15 of the world’s most common and North American-prevalent mutations.
Craig Sockol, Repromedix President and CEO said that, with the enhancement of its cystic fibrosis test, “Repromedix is improving accuracy and reducing turn-around time by 50% or more.” The CF-48 test is based on the Universal Array platform from Tm Bioscience, and operates on the Luminex xMAP system. The FDA-approved Luminex instrument allows Repromedix lab technicians to “multiplex” or analyze up to 100 assays simultaneously using very small sample volumes. “By adding an advanced CF test on the Luminex platform, we are providing significant benefit to our physician clients,” said Sockol.
Sockol added that his firm was invested in expanding its portfolio of genetic tests. “Repromedix is committed to bringing the benefits of scientific breakthroughs in genetic testing to our clients,” said Sockol. “It is a natural extension of our company’s focus on advanced reproductive diagnostics.”
Cystic Fibrosis is the most common lethal genetic defect in Caucasian populations, affecting approximately 30,000 adults and children in North America. With every pregnancy between two parent carriers, there is a 1 in 4 chance a child will inherit CF and a 1 in 2 chance of being a carrier of the disease. This prevalence led ACOG, the American College of Medical Genetics, and the National Institutes of Health to recommend in 2001 that couples who are pregnant or considering pregnancy should be CF carrier tested.
About Repromedix
Repromedix is the leading national laboratory specializing in advanced reproductive testing. By taking an interdisciplinary approach to clinical testing, the company helps doctors find solutions to their most difficult cases of female and male infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss, and high-risk pregnancy.
The company, based in Woburn, MA, was founded in 1994 by CEO Craig Sockol. It serves physicians and their patients throughout the United States and Canada.