SALT LAKE CITY, Aug. 09, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Predictive Technology Group, Inc. (OTC PINK: PRED), a leader in the use of data analytics for disease identification and subsequent clinical intervention through precision therapies, announces that its wholly owned subsidiary Predictive Laboratories, Inc. has commercially launched PGxPLUS+, a pharmacogenomic test panel being marketed to pain clinics for patients with chronic pain. PGxPLUS+ evaluates genetic factors that play a major role in an individual’s response to medications. In parallel, Predictive Laboratories has reached a milestone of enrolling 350 patients with chronic pain into an Investigational Review Board-approved clinical study aimed at providing additional insight into the mechanisms of chronic pain and responses to pain therapies.
Predictive Technology Group is tackling chronic pain and the opioid crisis on multiple fronts. Predictive has already developed and in-licensed important prognostic DNA tests and novel treatments for osteoarthritis, lumbar disc disease, endometriosis, and other conditions causing chronic pain. In 2016, the Institute of Medicine estimated that up to one-third of the U.S. population lives with ongoing pain. Chronic pain is often triggered by one of these common conditions, and over time can develop into a chronic pain syndrome, which is a disease itself.
The PGxPLUS+ panel is one of the most comprehensive pharmacogenetic tests available on the market. Predictive’s test evaluates 112 genetic variants across 38 genes that affect the metabolism of over 150 common medications, including pain medications. More than 90% of the population has one or more gene variants that affect the efficacy or safety of prescription drugs. Variation in drug metabolism is largely determined by an individual’s genetic profile, blood levels of a drug may vary up to 1,000-fold in similar patients taking identical doses of the same drug. Pharmacogenomics is the study of the role of our genome in drug responses.
Dr. Bryt Christensen, M.D., a pain specialist, reports, “The PGxPLUS+ pharmacogenetic test has been very helpful in my day-to-day practice. The results give insights into why some patients are not responding to medications as expected. With the help of these test results, I have been able to start or switch medications for patients more successfully. The PGxPLUS+ test helps me avoid prescribing medications that a patient won’t metabolize well, leading to better and more personalized patient care.”
One-third of patients taking long-term opioid therapy for non-cancer chronic pain either find their medication to be ineffective or they do not tolerate the side effects of the treatment. In the clinical study, Predictive is testing patients who are taking high doses of opioids [≥50 morphine milligram equivalents (MME)/day] for genetic variants responsible for their underlying disease, their metabolism of opioids, their intrinsic pain thresholds, and any genetic predisposition to opioid addiction. Predictive plans to develop more comprehensive treatment guidelines for pain based on predictive genetic markers.
“The ability to effectively treat individuals in pain represents a significant market opportunity and of even greater importance it serves an obligation of society to alleviate the current pain and suffering of an individual in a safer and more effective manner,” said Bradley Robinson, CEO of Predictive Technology Group. “Our Company is both identifying the most effective ways to treat pain at a personalized level and working to understand the underlying cause of diseases like osteoarthritis, lumbar disc disease and endometriosis to treat or prevent the root cause of the pain. We are pleased to add the PGxPLUS+ test to our portfolio of regenerative medicine and diagnostic products focused on treating chronic pain diseases.”
About Predictive Technology Group, Inc.
Predictive Technology Group aims to revolutionize patient care through predictive data analytics, novel gene-based diagnostics and companion therapeutics through its subsidiaries Predictive Therapeutics, Predictive Biotech, and Predictive Laboratories. These subsidiaries are focused on endometriosis, scoliosis, degenerative disc disease, and human cell and tissue products. The subsidiaries use genetic and other information as cornerstones in the development of new diagnostics that assess a person’s risk of illness and therapeutic products designed to identify, prevent and treat diseases more effectively. Additional information is available at Predtechgroup.com, Predrx.com, Predictivebiotech.com, and Predictivelabs.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
To the extent any statements made in this release contain information that is not historical, these statements are essentially forward-looking and are subject to risks and uncertainties, including the difficulty of predicting FDA approvals, acceptance and demand for human cell and tissue products and other pharmaceutical products, the impact of competitive products and pricing, new product development and launch, reliance on key strategic alliances, availability of raw materials, availability of additional intellectual property rights, availability of future financing sources, the regulatory environment, and other risks the Company may identify from time to time in the future.
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