Microsoft word - prometheus ibd release final.docx

ROMETHEUS AND THE MEDCO RESEARCH INSTITUTE TO EVALUATE THE USE
OF PROMETHEUS’ THIOPURINE METABOLITE TESTING FOR OPTIMIZING
TREATMENT OF INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE PATIENTS
San Diego, CA and Franklin Lakes, NJ, August 15, 2011 – Prometheus Laboratories Inc., a
specialty pharmaceutical and diagnostics company that is part of Nestlé Health Science, and the
Medco Research Institute®, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Medco Health Solutions, Inc.
(NYSE:MHS), today announced that they have entered into a collaboration to evaluate the use of
Prometheus’ Thiopurine Metabolite (PTM) testing for optimizing dosing of 6 mercaptopurine
(6MP) or azathioprine (Aza) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Optimization
of dosing could lead to improved drug response and delay progression to more aggressive
therapy.
Thiopurine immunomodulators, such as 6MP or its pro-drug Aza, are effective medicaltreatments for IBD when appropriately dosed. However, studies have shown that patients arefrequently under dosed which can decrease the efficacy of these drugs. Through PTM testing,doctors may be able to select those patients who would benefit from dose adjustments and thosethat may have a risk of toxicity. Patients who are not responding due to lack of compliancecould also be identified. This collaboration will evaluate whether PTM testing, used early afterthe decision is made to prescribe thiopurines, increases the time that patients remain on thesedrugs and thus reduces the rate at which patients transition to expensive alternative treatments.
"We believe that this collaboration provides an opportunity to show how our PrometheusThiopurine Metabolite test can be used to optimize immunomodulator therapy for IBD patients,”said Joseph Limber, Prometheus’s Chief Executive Officer. “The results of this pilot projectcould help provide evidence supporting the clinical value and cost effectiveness of the routineuse of this testing in patients taking thiopurine drugs.” “Programs of this nature have the potential to show that understanding a patient’s molecularmake-up with the help of a diagnostic test can improve a drug’s efficacy and safety,” said FelixFrueh, PhD, President, Medco Research Institute. “Working with Prometheus, Medco can helpits clients better understand the value of these tests for IBD patients, and may assist physicians tomake a personalized treatment decision for patients with this serious disease.” Through this collaboration, the companies will conduct the RECEIPT project (Research toEvaluate the Cost Effectiveness of Interventions with Prescriptions of Thiopurines), a pilotprogram to evaluate the benefit of PTM testing in IBD patients who have recently received aprescription for either 6MP or Aza. In addition, the collaboration will evaluate the costeffectiveness of PTM testing.
The Medco Research Institute will work with Medco clients to recruit patients to take part in thepilot program. It is anticipated that up to 500 Medco members who are using 6MP or Aza willhave the PTM testing performed, and the downstream medical and pharmacy data from thesepatients will be compared to a similar number of Medco members who did not received PTMtesting as part of their care, in order to determine the impact of PTM testing.
Personalized medicine is an area of healthcare that is becoming more widely used to focus onhow a person’s molecular makeup can affect their ability to respond to medications, allowingphysicians better precision in selection or dosing of a drug thereby improving drug safety andefficacy.
About IBD
IBD, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, is a chronic inflammatory condition of the
intestinal tract. Symptoms of the disease may include diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever and rectal
bleeding. Patients may require long-term medical care, including hospitalizations, surgeries and
therapeutics. The condition can be difficult to manage clinically and consumes a substantial
amount of healthcare resources in terms of physician time, procedures and medications.
Approximately 1.4 million Americans suffer from IBD.
About Prometheus
Prometheus Laboratories Inc. is committed to improving lives through the development and
commercialization of novel pharmaceutical and diagnostic products that enable physicians to
provide greater individualized patient care. Prometheus is a leader in applying the principles of
personalized medicine to the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases and is applying
these principles to oncology. Its strategy includes the marketing and delivery of pharmaceutical
products complemented by proprietary diagnostic testing services. By integrating therapeutics
and diagnostics, Prometheus believes it can provide physicians with more targeted solutions to
optimize care for their patients. Prometheus has become part of Nestlé Health Science in July
2011. Prometheus’ corporate offices are located in San Diego, California. For more information
about Prometheus, please visit
About Nestlé Health Science
Nestlé Health Science, a fully-owned subsidiary of Nestlé S.A., is operational since January 1,
2011 and has worldwide headquarters in Lutry, Switzerland. Nestlé Health Science offers
nutritional solutions for people with specific dietary needs related to illnesses, disease states or
the special challenges of different life stages. For more information about Nestlé Health Science,
please visit .
About the Medco Research Institute
Medco Research Institute® is an evidence-based research organization focused solely on novel
research, analytics and new discoveries that close the gap between scientific discovery and
medical practice for improved patient outcomes and lower overall healthcare costs. More
information about the Medco Research Institute’s peer-reviewed research can be found at
.
About Medco
Medco Health Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: MHS) is pioneering the world's most advanced
pharmacy® and its clinical research and innovations are part of Medco making medicine
smarter™ for approximately 65 million members.
With more than 20,000 employees worldwide dedicated to improving patient health and reducingcosts for a wide range of public and private sector clients, and 2010 revenues of $66 billion,Medco ranks 34th on the 2010 Fortune 500 list and is named among the world's most innovative,most admired and most trustworthy companies.
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined in the PrivateSecurities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements involve risks and uncertainties thatmay cause results to differ materially from those set forth in the statements. No forward-lookingstatement can be guaranteed, and actual results may differ materially from those projected. Weundertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result ofnew information, future events, or otherwise. Forward-looking statements in this press releaseshould be evaluated together with the risks and uncertainties that affect our business, particularlythose mentioned in the Risk Factors section of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K andQuarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Contacts:
Prometheus Laboratories Inc.
Beth KriegelVice President, Finance & Treasurer(858) 410-2516 Medco Heath Solutions, Inc.
Jennifer [email protected]

Source: http://www.nestlehealthscience.at/asset-library/documents/newsroom/Prometheus_and_Medco_IBD_release.pdf