Augurex Life Sciences and Quest Diagnostics Collaborate to Improve Rheumatoid Arthritis Diagnosis and Management

Quest to introduce lab-developed test based on Augurex 14-3-3η (eta) biomarker to U.S. physicians later this month

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Augurex Life Sciences Corp., a leader in autoimmune biomarker-based diagnostics, today announced that it has formed a nonexclusive agreement with Quest Diagnostics, a leading provider of diagnostic information services, under which Quest will validate and offer a lab-developed test based on the Augurex 14-3-3η (eta) biomarker in the United States.

Quest intends to begin offering the test service to physicians from its advanced laboratory in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., by December 2, 2024. With a physician’s order, patients interested in the test will be able to provide a blood specimen at one of over 2,000 Quest Diagnostics patient service centers in the United States.

The 14-3-3eta test aids in detecting elevated levels of the 14-3-3eta protein, which are specific for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and linked to more severe disease and joint damage risk.

“Reintroducing the 14-3-3eta test with Quest Diagnostics is an important step in meeting the evolving needs of RA patients and clinicians,” said Neil Klompas, CEO of Augurex. “With the increasing recognition of 14-3-3eta as a valuable biomarker in inflammatory diseases, Quest’s reintroduction of this test to physicians in the U.S. will expand access to an important tool for expediting treatment decisions.”

“Our agreement with Augurex builds on our record of innovation in autoimmune disease, which includes being the first U.S. lab provider to introduce a lab-developed test based on the Augurex 14-3-3eta biomarker more than a decade ago. We look forward to reintroducing our 14-3-3eta lab-developed test to physicians later this month,” said James D. Faix, M.D., Medical Director, Immunology and R&D, Quest Diagnostics.

About Augurex

Augurex is a commercial stage diagnostics company dedicated to the early identification and diagnosis of autoimmune disorders, allowing treatment options to be optimized and personalized for patients around the world. Augurex’s lead diagnostic test which detects the 14-3-3eta protein, available as JOINTstat® in Canada, is an important tool in the diagnosis and management of inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis. The analyte specific reagents to detect 14-3-3eta are available for purchase and use by U.S. clinical laboratories as a component of diagnostic tests developed by such laboratories. The Anti-14-3-3eta Multiplex ASRs expand Augurex’s biomarker-informed diagnostic autoimmune solutions into axial spondyloarthritis, an autoimmune disease often misdiagnosed as low back pain, and which if untreated can lead to impaired spinal mobility and fusion of the vertebrae. Learn more about Augurex at www.augurex.com and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and X.