August 25, 2008 - Vermillion Inc. said last week a study published in the August 2008 issue of the journal Vascular Medicine included data supporting its peripheral artery disease (PAD) diagnostic program.
The study was led by John Cooke, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine at Stanford University and involved researchers at Stanford, Mt. Sinai Medical Center (New York) and Vermillion.
“PAD is a serious disease that often goes undiagnosed and untreated,” said Dr. Cooke. “A blood test that identifies people at risk for this debilitating condition will improve diagnosis and give these people a better chance of getting the life- and limb-saving therapy they need. Our study indicates that this biomarker panel could assist physicians in identifying those individuals at highest risk of having PAD.”
The study comprised 540 individuals: 197 individuals with both coronary artery disease and peripheral arterial disease (CAD PAD); 81 with CAD only; and 262 with no hemodynamically significant disease of the coronary or peripheral arteries. Blood plasma was analyzed for a series of candidate biomarkers, and a final biomarker panel comprising Beta-2M, cystatin C, hsCRP, and glucose had an increased association with PAD status (odds ratio = 7.3).
Vermillion has entered into an exclusive license agreement with Stanford to develop and commercialize the PAD biomarker panel.
PAD, a serious but often asymptomatic disorder affecting some eight to 12 million Americans, is caused by the buildup of fat and cholesterol, or plaque, in the peripheral arteries, disrupting normal blood flow. Left untreated, PAD more than doubles the risk of heart attack and stroke and increases the risk of amputation and death. There are treatments that can save the lives and limbs of these patients, once the disease is recognized.
For more information: www.vermillion.com
November 18, 2024 
