Congresswoman Barbara Lee Visits Tethys Bioscience

EMERYVILLE, Calif., Jan. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- California Congresswoman Barbara Lee recently visited Emeryville-based Tethys Bioscience, developers of the PreDx® test, the predictive multi-biomarker blood test that differentiates adults with prediabetes according to their 5-year likelihood of progressing to type 2 diabetes, enabling clinicians to focus additional attention on those at highest imminent risk of disease conversion.

Congresswoman Lee, who has been a strong advocate of biotechnology and medical innovation throughout her 8 terms in Congress, toured the Tethys Clinical Laboratory, where the PreDx test was developed and where over 150,000 PreDx tests have been processed since its commercial launch in 2008. In her comments to Lab personnel, Congresswoman Lee praised the important work that Tethys has done to enable the more effective prevention of type 2 diabetes, which has reached epidemic levels throughout the United States and within the local community.

"Tethys' work to identify and more effectively treat patients at the highest risk for type 2 diabetes is a welcome step forward in our shared mission to reduce the prevalence of this preventable disease," said Congresswoman Barbara Lee. "Type 2 diabetes, among other health conditions, remains widespread among low-income communities and communities of color, and I am optimistic that this work will lead to healthier families and communities in the Bay Area and across the country."

About Congresswoman Barbara Lee

Congresswoman Lee represents the new 13th Congressional District of California.  During the 113th Congress, Rep. Lee will continue to serve on the House Appropriations Committee and will also serve on the House Budget Committee and the Steering and Policy Committee.  She will continue to work to lift millions of Americans out of poverty, eradicate healthcare disparities, ensure that our country's budget is both fair and balanced, and to invest in the future of all Americans.

About  PreDx®
PreDx® is a fasting blood test that combines the results of seven biomarkers implicated in the development of type 2 diabetes, plus age and gender, into a numerical score that predicts the 5-year likelihood of progression to type 2 diabetes in adults with prediabetes. Prediabetes, which currently affects over 79 million American adults, is a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes, and is a precursor to the disease.  Validated by the Tethys Clinical Laboratory (TCL) in a number of large populations, the PreDx test has been shown to be highly accurate in predicting likelihood of progression to diabetes, as well as a reliable method for monitoring the impact of lifestyle interventions in reducing that likelihood. PreDx test results are intended to be used in conjunction with other clinical information to aid healthcare providers in determining optimal prevention strategies to delay or prevent the onset of diabetes.

The PreDx test is currently performed exclusively by the CLIA‐certified Tethys Clinical Laboratory located in Emeryville, CA.

About Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes, which accounts for 95% of diabetes cases, is a preventable chronic disease that afflicts 26 million American adults, and threatens an additional 81 million diagnosed with prediabetes, a condition that increases risk of developing the disease. Caused by defects in multiple biological pathways, type 2 diabetes is characterized by elevated blood glucose levels that result from the body's inability to properly utilize insulin, or to produce sufficient quantities of the hormone.

A chronic and debilitating disease, type 2 diabetes is associated with significant microvascular (e.g., eye, kidney, and nerve) and macrovascular (e.g., cardiovascular) complications, as well as an increased vulnerability for depression, Alzheimer's disease, a number of cancers and premature death.

About Tethys Bioscience, Inc.
Tethys Bioscience is a cardiometabolic diagnostics company that creates and commercializes biomarker‐based blood tests that predict likelihood of progression to chronic disease, and enable targeted intervention to forestall the onset of chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes. Tethys initiated sales of its first product – the PreDx® test – in 2009, and has processed over 150,000 tests to date. Additional products are in development to determine likelihood of first‐time heart attack, osteoporotic fracture and other cardiometabolic diseases. For more information about Tethys and PreDx test, please visit www.tethysbio.com. 

Contact:
Pamela Parkes
Tethys Bioscience, Inc.
[email protected] 
1-888-483-8497

SOURCE Tethys Bioscience