Mayo Clinic announces collaboration on genotyping test for Warfarin sensitivity

Mayo Clinic today announced that it has reached an agreement with Rheonix, Inc. to collaborate on the performance of a genotyping test for warfarin sensitivity in clinical and research settings. The genotyping test will be available for all patients of Mayo Clinic and is the subject of ongoing research for improved anticoagulation therapy. Additionally, the test will be offered through Mayo Clinic’s reference laboratory, Mayo Medical Laboratories, to clients throughout the world.

“The common anticoagulant warfarin (Coumadin) is prescribed to prevent and treat the formation of blood clots,” says Dennis O’Kane, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology. “Until now, determining the correct dosage to prescribe a patient has been a matter of trial and error. Using this genetic test better enables physicians to administer suitable doses of warfarin individualized to each patient and to identify if they are at risk for forming blood clots due to subtherapeutic dosing, or at risk of severe bleeding due to overdosing of warfarin. This new test builds upon Mayo Medical Laboratories’ continuing efforts to develop useful, cost-effective tests to assist in providing the best management of warfarin for patients."

“This collaboration is an important step in bringing commercial reality to the long-promised potential of pharmacogenomic testing for well-established pharmaceuticals and for next-generation pharmaceutical development,” says Tony Eisenhut, president of Rheonix, Inc. “Through this collaboration, we hope to assist the medical community in providing the best patient care possible.”

About Mayo Clinic Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology/Mayo Medical Laboratories

The Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic maintains an active diagnostic test development program. This program incorporates Mayo Clinic discoveries and expertise with discoveries from other diagnostic and biotechnology companies and leading academic and research organizations. Mayo uses these proven diagnostic technologies to care for its own patients and offers them to more than 5,000 health care institutions around the world through Mayo Medical Laboratories. Revenue from testing is used to support medical education and research at Mayo Clinic. For more information, visit www.MayoMedicalLaboratories.com.

About Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit worldwide leader in medical care, research and education for people from all walks of life. For more information, visit www.mayoclinic.com and www.mayoclinic.org/news.

About Rheonix, Inc.

Rheonix has created a powerful microfluidic platform for the evolving molecular diagnostics industry. This system incorporates low-cost disposable Rheonix CARD^® technology to analyze single or multiple clinical raw samples. The Rheonix CARD system provides multiplexed endpoint analysis and can be rapidly customized for a wide breadth of diagnostic applications. Rheonix is preparing to file a 510(k) application in 2011. For more information, visit www.rheonix.com.