PGXL to Provide Antipsychotic Drug Response Tests

Agreement with SureGene Brings Revolutionary Diagnostic Test to Market

PGXL to Provide Antipsychotic Drug Response Tests

PGXL Laboratories

SureGene has chosen PGXL as laboratory provider for its proprietary STAR genetic panel, which promises to revolutionize the treatment of schizophrenia.

“The STAR panel turns intuitive treatment into precision treatment,” says Dr. Roland Valdes Jr., Chairman and President of PGXL. “It removes the trial and error from the medication of schizophrenia. It’s a perfect application of personalized medicine entirely aligned with PGXL’s vision.”

The STAR agreement marks the first collaboration between SureGene and PGXL, two companies that spun out of University of Louisville research labs. SureGene researchers discovered and patented the SULT4A1-1 genetic signature. PGXL Laboratories independently developed the STAR panel and will perform the tests for healthcare providers around the United States. Both SureGene and PGXL are promoting the test, PGXL through its own distribution system and SureGene direct to psychiatric healthcare providers.

“PGXL has long been a leader and innovator in personalized medicine. When SureGene needed a lab partner, PGXL was the obvious choice. The synergies from both companies being located in Louisville was an added bonus,” says Bill Massey, President of SureGene.

The panel analyzes five genes, including SureGene’s patented SULT4A1, and uses the results of those tests to help identify the right treatment path for a patient based on available data. More than 100,000 Americans are diagnosed with schizophrenia every year. While most will eventually be successfully treated, about a third will never find the right balance of medications. The STAR panel is designed to help guide psychiatrists to that balance quickly and confidently.

“Every time I meet with patients and caregivers, they share heart-wrenching stories of their journey to finding the right medicine,” says Tim Ramsey, Vice President of SureGene and one of the inventors of STAR. “With STAR, SureGene and PGXL are giving doctors a powerful new tool to help their patients.”

A privately-owned business located in Louisville, Kentucky, PGXL Laboratories was the first lab in the country CLIA-certified specifically to conduct pharmacogenetic tests. It offers pharmacogenetic testing, interpretive services, and assay design and validation. Along with its clinical practice, PGXL performs contract research for developers of pharmaceuticals and medical equipment.

SureGene, LLC, provides personalized solutions for the treatment of serious mental diseases. SureGene discovers and develops personalized medicine tests that deliver exceptional clinical utility to address the high level of unmet medical need for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. For more information about STAR panel, please visit .