Labcorp Launches Integrated And Sequential Prenatal Screening Technology For Down Syndrome

Burlington, NC - Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (LabCorp ) an industry leader in prenatal clinical laboratory testing, announced that it now offers Integrated screening and Sequential screening tests under license from Intema Limited. When Integrated screening and Sequential screening test results include a fetal ultrasound nuchal translucency measurement, the highest Down syndrome detection rates are achieved and fewer false positives are experienced than with current first- or second-trimester screening.

In January 2007, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists issued a Practice Bulletin recommending that regardless of age, all pregnant women be offered screening for Down syndrome, and ideally, be offered screening that combines first- and second-trimester screening. Subsequently, LabCorp announced an agreement with Intema, Ltd. to license its technology for combining first and second trimester Down syndrome screening test results.

"LabCorp is pleased to be the first full-service, national clinical laboratory to license and make commercially available Integrated and Sequential Down syndrome screening technology," said LabCorp's Executive Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer and Medical Director, Myla P. Lai-Goldman, M.D. "Adding these tools to our comprehensive menu of prenatal testing services will allow physicians to offer patients a broader range of screening tests with higher detection rates and low false positive rates. This can help reduce the number of invasive tests needed and potentially reduce the number of procedure-related pregnancy losses."

SOURCE: LabCorp