Spartan Bioscience Announces Alere as Exclusive Distributor for Germany, Austria and Switzerland

OTTAWA, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Spartan Bioscience Inc., a privately held molecular diagnostics company that develops, manufactures, and markets DNA testing systems for on-demand applications, today announces an exclusive distribution agreement with Alere GmbH for distribution of the Spartan RX CYP2C19 in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Alere GmbH is a subsidiary of Alere Inc., a global leader in enabling individuals to take charge of their health at home through the merger of rapid diagnostics and health management. Alere will concentrate its efforts on reaching customers in surgery suites and catheterization labs within hospitals and other medical centers.

“We have already experienced significant interest in the Spartan RX CYP2C19, and we are delighted to add the system to our portfolio of products”

The Spartan RX CYP2C19 is a point-of-care, sample-to-result DNA testing system that helps cardiologists identify patients who carry the CYP2C19*2 gene mutation that causes impaired metabolism to the popular anti-blood clotting medication Plavix^® (clopidogrel). The CYP2C19*2 mutation is found in up to 30 percent of the world’s populationⁱ and gene carriers who receive the standard dose of Plavix following a cardiac stent insertion to open clogged arteries have a 42 percent higher risk of death, stroke, or heart attack in the first year compared to non-carriersⁱⁱ.

“We are very pleased to have Alere become our exclusive distributor in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Their strong customer relationships and demonstrated expertise in this market will help expedite access to our products,” said Larry D’Andrea, CEO of Spartan Bioscience. “Cardiologists have a need for the critical information that is provided by the Spartan CYP2C19. We are enthusiastic about Alere’s ability to bring our value to hospitals and medical centers.”

“We have already experienced significant interest in the Spartan RX CYP2C19, and we are delighted to add the system to our portfolio of products,” said Dave Sieber, Managing Director of Alere GmbH. “The Spartan RX CYP2C19 is an excellent fit with our expertise in the cardiology market, and we look forward to a long and prosperous partnership with Spartan.”

About Spartan Bioscience (www.spartanbio.com)

Spartan Bioscience Inc. is a privately held molecular diagnostics company that develops, manufactures, and markets DNA testing systems for on-demand applications. The company is focusing on decentralized and point-of-care applications where rapid and convenient DNA testing is particularly important, such as pharmacogenetics, infectious diseases, and food and water safety testing. The Spartan RX is the first complete sample-to-result, point-of-care DNA testing system for personalized medicine. It is a fully integrated DNA collection, extraction and analysis platform, with an intuitive interface that can be operated by nurses and other non-technical users.

About Alere

By developing new capabilities in near-patient diagnosis, monitoring and health management, Alere enables individuals to take charge of improving their health and quality of life at home. Alere’s global leading products and services, as well as its new product development efforts, focus on infectious disease, cardiology, oncology, drugs of abuse and women’s health. Alere Inc. is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. Alere GmbH is located in Köln, Germany. For more information about Alere, please visit http://www.alere.com.

The Spartan logo is a registered trademark of Spartan Bioscience Inc.

Plavix is a registered trademark of Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi Pharmaceuticals.

ⁱ Damani SB, Topol EJ. (2010). JACC. 56:109–11.

ⁱⁱ Mega JL et al. (2009). N Engl J Med. 360:354–62.