AIT Laboratories to offer MDDScore™ from Ridge Diagnostics

INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 1, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- AIT Laboratories (AIT) announced today that it will offer the proprietary MDDScore™ Depression Blood Test developed by Ridge Diagnostics. This agreement makes AIT the exclusive distributor in both pain management and chemical dependency programs, expanding the opportunity for care providers in those settings to take advantage of MDDScore's unique and novel capabilities. MDDScore is the first blood test to demonstrate objective biological information derived from physiological changes to aid in the diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).

MDDScore is a multi-analyte blood test utilizing nine serum biomarkers associated with depression. The test provides a single score in a range from one to nine, where a score below five indicates low likelihood of MDD and five or above indicates high likelihood of MDD. Providers can use the score along with other clinical, medical and laboratory information known about a patient to aid in the diagnosis and management of MDD.

Providers who treat chronic pain are expected to especially have interest in this test due to the relationship between chronic pain and depression. "Pain and depression are the most prevalent physical and psychological symptom-based disorders, respectively, and co-occur 30 to 50 percent of the time," according to a September 2011 article published in The Journal of Pain. MDDScore gives pain management providers a quantitative biological measurement to support a clinical judgment of probable MDD and aid in the development of targeted treatment plans for chronic pain patients that can reduce the need for opioids.   

"Ridge Diagnostics is very pleased to have a partner who is actively changing the way physicians manage their patients with chronic pain, and is also well established in the pain management and chemical dependency testing market," said Lonna J. Williams, Ridge Diagnostics CEO.

"AIT is pleased to offer the proprietary MDDScore and help physicians and pain management professionals better diagnose and treat their patients," said R. Matthew Neff, AIT President and CEO.

About Ridge Diagnostics

Ridge Diagnostics is a neurodiagnostic company developing and marketing blood-based tests to diagnose and monitor neuropsychiatric disorders. Ridge has commercialized the first-in-class, proprietary blood test for the diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). The portfolio of neurodiagnostic blood tests are based on a proprietary Human Biomarker Library and technology platform. The testing services are provided by the Ridge-owned CLIA laboratory. The company is located in San Diego and Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

About AIT Laboratories

AIT Laboratories (AIT), headquartered in Indianapolis, is a national laboratory that specializes in testing to monitor patients prescribed narcotics and testing for forensic toxicology. The company is recognized nationwide for unique services that help protect providers, practices and patients. For more information about AIT, visit www.aitlabs.com.

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SOURCE AIT Laboratories