[Seoul, Korea & Ottawa, Ontario = Whowired] April 24, 2012 -- Spartan Bioscience today announced an exclusive distribution agreement with MilestoneBio for distribution of the first bedside DNA test in Korea. Milestone specializes in the distribution of DNA-based diagnostic products, and will concentrate its efforts on reaching cardiologists in hospitals and other medical centers.

The Spartan RX CYP2C19 is the first bedside DNA test in medicine.(1) It identifies carriers of the CYP2C19*2 gene, which is carried by approximately 30% of Caucasians and 50% of Koreans.(2,3) Genetic carriers who receive Plavix® (clopidogrel) following a cardiac stent have a 42 percent higher risk of death, stroke, or heart attack in the first year compared to non-carriers.(4) Over 1 million cardiac stent procedures are performed annually in the United States, compared with over 40,000 in Korea. Following this procedure, patients are typically prescribed clopidogrel for one year or more. In 2009, Plavix® was the second best-selling drug in the world, with over $9 billion in revenues.

“We are delighted to have MilestoneBio become Spartan’s exclusive distributor in Korea,” said Larry D’Andrea, CEO of Spartan Bioscience. “Milestone is trusted by hospitals and has deep expertise in the Korean market.”

“Spartan has developed the first bedside DNA test in medicine. We are excited to bring this innovative technology to Korea,” said Stone Choi, President of MilestoneBio. “A number of cardiologists have already approached us about this important test. We believe there is a significant market opportunity in Korea.”

About the Spartan RX CYP2C19

The Spartan RX CYP2C19 is the first bedside DNA test in medicine.(1) It identifies carriers of the CYP2C19*2 gene in 1 hour. This gene is carried by approximately 30 percent of the world’s population.(2) Genetic carriers who receive Plavix® following a cardiac stent insertion to open clogged arteries have a 42 percent higher risk of death, stroke, or heart attack in the first year compared to non-carriers.(4) Currently, genetic testing is performed in central labs and it takes up to seven days to get a test result back. A rapid test is needed because most of the complications for CYP2C19 carriers occur in the first 24 to 48 hours.(4,5) In March 2010, the FDA issued a warning for Plavix regarding CYP2C19 poor metabolizers. The Spartan RX CYP2C19 has CE IVD Mark regulatory approval for Europe and other countries recognizing the CE IVD Mark. Spartan Bioscience is working towards FDA 510(k) clearance in the United States. For more information, please visit our website at: http://www.spartanbio.com/products/spartan-rx

About Spartan Bioscience
Spartan Bioscience is the leader in point-of-care DNA testing. The Spartan RX is the first complete sample-to-result, point-of-care DNA testing system in medicine. It is a fully integrated DNA collection, extraction and analysis platform, with an intuitive interface that is easy to operate—no laboratory training required. For the first time, healthcare providers and their patients can get DNA results on demand. For more information, please visit our website at: http://www.spartanbio.com.

The Spartan logo is a registered trademark of Spartan Bioscience Inc.
Plavix is a registered trademark of Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi Pharmaceuticals.

1. Roberts JD et al. (2012). Lancet. Published online March 29.
2. Damani SB, Topol EJ. (2010). J Am Coll Cardiol. 56:109–11.
3. Jeong YH et al. (2011). Circ Cardiovasc Interv. 4(6):585–594.
4. Mega JL et al. (2009). N Engl J Med. 360:354–62.
5. Wiviott SD et al. (2007). N Engl J Med. 357:2001–2015.