Vancouver, BC — Augurex Life Sciences Corp is proud to announce that 14-3-3η, a novel rheumatoid arthritis (RA) biomarker, is paving a future for better patient outcomes. Today the U.S Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued patent number 9,791,458 entitled “Dissolved Protein Arthritis Markers” related to assays for the measurement of 14-3-3η protein for the diagnosis and management of patients with RA. The discovery of this protein’s role in arthritis was a co-invention between researchers at University of British Columbia and University of Alberta, Dr. Ruhangiz Kilani, Dr. Aziz Ghahary and Dr. Walter Maksymowych.
Today, more than 50 million Americans are living with arthritis, a leading cause of disability among adults in the U.S.1,2 Identifying those patients with early RA, for prompt intervention and tight treatment control, drastically improves outcomes. The issuance of this 14-3-3η patent confirms the important role of this blood test for patients, which is already supported by multiple peer-reviewed studies showing that 14-3-3η is a very early contributor to RA development and correlates with joint damage prognosis along the disease course.
“In agreement with the proposed biochemical role of 14-3-3η in the joint damage pathway, clinical studies have consistently demonstrated, from very early RA right through to established disease, that persistently elevated 14-3-3η blood levels predict rapid joint damage progression, even in patients who achieve clinical remission,” says Dr. Gilles Boire, Professor in the Division of Rheumatology of the Faculty of Medicine at the Université de Sherbrooke. He adds, “A persistent positive 14-3-3η test signals to the rheumatologist the need to treat patients with active disease more aggressively, and to ‘stay the course’ even after the patient achieves clinical remission.”
The 14-3-3η blood test is available in the U.S through Labcorp and RDL Reference Laboratory. JOINTstat® (14-3-3η) is CE marked and TGA approved for clinical use in Europe and Australia. In Canada, the test is available through LifeLabs and in Japan through Medical & Biological Laboratories (MBL).
For more information on the 14-3-3η test and Augurex Life Sciences Corp, visit www.augurex.com or www.jointstat.com.
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Augurex is a privately held biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of autoimmune disease biomarkers that transform patient clinical management for better disease outcomes. The company brings innovative blood tests and digital solutions to market to better inform clinical assessments for more precise care. To learn more, visit www.augurex.com.
oh… great.
It’s actually a good news for RA Patients. Great work Augurex Life. Thanks for sharing this and keep up the same in future.