SAN DIEGO, California – June 20, 2012 – FirstMark, the diagnostic division of GenWay Biotech, Inc., is pleased to announce that the company will be exhibiting and presenting at the San Diego Academy of Family Physicians 55th Annual Postgraduate Symposium, in San Diego, June 22-24. FirstMark will showcase the groundbreaking research and data that is the foundation for PREvent. PREvent is the first and only multiple biomarker blood test on the market that accurately predicts near term (2-3 years) risk of myocardial infarction (MI) and death for coronary artery disease (CAD) patients. PREvent is an exciting development in cardiovascular patient management, addressing the unmet need to assess the risk of near term MI.
Dr. Sergey Sikora, Sr. Vice President of FirstMark, will present the research and data at the Symposium at 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m., Sunday, June 24th, Paradise Point Resort at Mission Bay, Garden Room. Dr. Sikora is co-creator of a PREvent, along with noted cardiologists and researchers Dr. Arshed Quyyumi at Emory University, and Dr. Stephen Epstein at MedStar Health Research Institute. FirstMark will be exhibiting at the symposium on Friday, June 22nd, and Saturday, June 23rd.
“We look forward to the opportunity to present to the family physicians in attendance at the symposium,” said Dr. Sikora. “The symposium focuses on novel technologies that determine patients at risk for particular medical conditions, in order to control or prevent further complications. This event provides a perfect setting for FirstMark to share the remarkable research data and benefits of PREvent. We believe many of the physicians that are in attendance will find PREvent of interest with strong potential for clinical application for their CAD patients.”
PREvent provides superior cardiac risk information by identifying the top 5% of CAD at the highest risk of MI with a hazard ratio of 5.5. The data showed an annualized event rate of MI or death for 18.2% of significant CAD patients with all three biomarkers elevated as compared to only 2.45% of significant CAD patients with all biomarkers normal. The multiple biomarker model adds markedly to traditional risk-prediction by significantly improving C-statistics from 0.695 for base model to 0.750, distinguishing high risk from low risk patients.
About FirstMark
FirstMark is a division of GenWay Biotech, Inc. The FirstMark division is focused on the development and commercialization of non-invasive diagnostic and health monitoring tests for unmet clinical needs. Headquarters are located in the heart of San Diego’s biotech community in the Sorrento Valley/Mesa area. For additional information please visit FirstMarkPREvent.com.
