I will start this off
PRODUCTS IN DEVELOPMENT
Background - Molecular Diagnostics
We believe that advances in the emerging field of molecular diagnostics will improve our ability to determine which patients are subject to a greater risk of developing disease, and who therefore would benefit from preventive therapies. Molecular diagnostic products may also guide a patient's healthcare to ensure the patient receives the most appropriate drug at the optimal dose. Every week, disease-linked genetic variations are being discovered. Genetic tests are now available for over 4,000 diseases and conditions. Once only a niche market of the in vitro diagnostics industry, molecular genetic testing is playing an increasingly valuable and prominent role in health care. In all areas of medicine, DNA based tests are assisting clinicians in the management of diseases and in the selection of treatment by enabling earlier diagnosis or prediction of disease risk years before symptoms occur. The domestic market for molecular diagnostics is a multi-billion dollar market and is the strongest segment of the entire in vitro diagnostics market, growing at an annual average rate of over 20%.
We believe there are significant diagnostic market opportunities for disease identification. Simple, non-invasive diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive tests do not exist for many of the major diseases affecting women and men. Unlike traditional medical tests, molecular genetic tests are often proprietary, high-margin tests that can move quickly from discovery to commercialization, particularly in a CAP accredited and CLIA certified laboratory as a Laboratory Developed Test (LDT), for which the FDA currently exercises enforcement discretion.
In general, accurate early detection, disease identification and assessment of health status can translate into reduced morbidity, improved quality of life and reduced treatment costs associated with detection and treatment of disease during later stages.
