| April 10, 2001 - ARUP Laboratories to Provide Tibotec-Virco's HIV Drug Resistance Test: |
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| BALTIMORE, APRIL 10, 2001 -- Tibotec-Virco, an international biotechnology pioneer in HIV pharmacogenomics, and ARUP Laboratories, a provider of specialty diagnostic laboratory testing services in the United States, announced today an agreement under which ARUP will offer Tibotec-Virco's HIV drug resistance testing services throughout the United States. Despite the use of highly active combination therapy, many HIV/AIDS patients experience treatment failure because the virus becomes drug resistant. Resistance testing helps clinicians select the most effective combination of drugs for the individual patient and improves the response to treatment. “We are very pleased to enhance our portfolio with Tibotec-Virco's HIV drug resistance testing services, which we believe are among the most advanced and comprehensive available,” said David Hillyard, M.D., Medical Director of Molecular Infectious Diseases for ARUP Laboratories. Under the agreement, ARUP will offer Tibotec-Virco's VirtualPhenotypeTM assay. The VirtualPhenotypeTM test combines the speed and genetic detail of genotyping with the predictive power of phenotyping. The test reads the genetic code of the patient's virus, interrogates Tibotec-Virco's database of approximately 100,000 genotypes and phenotypes for samples with the same mutations, and calculates a highly accurate prediction of which drugs will be active against the virus and which will not. The VirtualPhenotypeTM test is the only quantitative approach available for predicting HIV resistance from genotypic information. “We are delighted to have signed this agreement with ARUP, who will help us to expand the distribution of these important services in the USA,” commented Wim Swyzen, M.D., Regional Managing Director for Virco USA & Canada. “We hope that this partnership will have a substantial positive impact on the treatment outcome for people living with HIV and AIDS.” Background Information Tibotec-Virco is a multinational biotechnology company with operating subsidiaries in the United States, Belgium, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. The group applies the latest techniques in pharmacogenomics, molecular biology, drug discovery and development, and in artificial intelligence to develop individualized disease-management products, services, and technologies in HIV, other infectious diseases, and in cancer, with the ultimate aim of enhancing and extending peoples' lives. Tibotec-Virco is widely regarded as a world leader in HIV-resistance testing and has developed and commercialized some of the most widely available and trusted test methodologies in the world. It is the only company to provide genotyping, phenotyping, and the VirtualPhenotype™, all conducted in Tibotec-Virco's stringently quality-controlled and fully-accredited laboratories around the world. ARUP Laboratories ARUP, with revenue of greater than $100 million, provides diagnostic testing services for clients and hospitals throughout the United States, including university teaching hospitals, multihospital groups, major commercial laboratories, group purchasing organizations, military and government facilities, major clinics, and major pharmaceutical firms. ARUP remains at the forefront of innovative research and development in clinical and experimental laboratory medicine, led by the efforts of the ARUP Institute for Clinical and Experimental Pathology. Contact Information: ARUP Laboratories, Inc.: |
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