PerkinElmer and Verinata Health Announce Collaboration to Expand Access to Non-Invasive Prenatal Tes

Updated

PerkinElmer and Verinata Health Announce Collaboration to Expand Access to Non-Invasive Prenatal Test for Down Syndrome and Other Chromosomal Abnormalities

Global Maternal and Fetal Health Leader and NIPT Innovator Join To Provide Comprehensive Prenatal Solutions for Doctors and Parents

WALTHAM, Mass. & REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- PerkinElmer, Inc. (NYS: PKI) and Verinata Health, Inc., today announced a strategic agreement for expanding access to Verinata's verifi® test, the most comprehensive non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT) currently available for high-risk pregnancies. The verifi® test, which is performed at Verinata's CLIA-certified, California laboratory, uses a single maternal blood draw as early as 10 weeks of pregnancy to detect multiple fetal chromosomal aneuploidies. Chromosomal aneuploidy is an abnormal number of chromosomes.


Under the terms of the collaboration agreement, PerkinElmer will serve as an exclusive Verinata Health commercial partner in the joint sales and marketing of the verifi® test in the United States. The collaboration consolidates and streamlines delivery of prenatal testing options due to the combination of PerkinElmer's extensive prenatal testing menu with Verinata's proprietary technologies for the early, non-invasive identification of specific fetal chromosomal aneuploidies.

"PerkinElmer has a strong history and commitment to bring innovative offerings that are dedicated to maternal and fetal health, to physicians and patients. Integrating Verinata's non-invasive prenatal test with PerkinElmer's existing solutions ensures that physicians and patients have early access to the most advanced testing solutions to help protect the health of mothers and babies and we look forward to working with Illumina," said Robert Friel, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of PerkinElmer.

In December 2012, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine issued a joint Committee Opinion stating that NIPT is one option that can be used as a primary or secondary screening test for pregnancies with an increased risk for aneuploidy. This includes women who will be 35 years of age or older at delivery, women with a prior personal or family history of chromosome abnormalities, pregnancies that have received abnormal biochemical screening results, and pregnancies showing ultrasound abnormalities. Further asserting the importance of screening, this new opinion follows ACOG's Practice Guidelines in 2007 which recommended that the option of screening and invasive diagnostic testing for aneuploidy be offered to all pregnant women, regardless of age.

Highly accurate biochemical screening results can be received as early as 11 weeks gestation, through the current PerkinElmer NTD Labs offering for Down syndrome and other chromosomal abnormalities. The verifi® prenatal test can be considered for women who have received high risk first trimester screening results at PerkinElmer's NTD Labs early in the first trimester of pregnancy.

"Given our growing success with the verifi® prenatal test, we are excited that PerkinElmer has chosen our advanced technology as their NIPT offering," said Jeff Bird, M.D., Chief Executive Officer and Executive Chairman at Verinata. "Collaborating with PerkinElmer provides a great opportunity to not only offer expectant mothers greater access to complete high quality screening and diagnostic tests, but to also extend the verifi prenatal test to the over 160 million people who are currently part of PerkinElmer's contracted managed care network."

Factors Affecting Future Performance

This press release contains "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, statements relating to estimates and projections of future earnings per share, cash flow and revenue growth and other financial results, developments relating to our customers and end-markets, and plans concerning business development opportunities and divestitures. Words such as "believes," "intends," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "projects," "forecasts," "will" and similar expressions, and references to guidance, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on management's current assumptions and expectations and no assurances can be given that our assumptions or expectations will prove to be correct. A number of important risk factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results described, implied or projected in any forward-looking statements. These factors include, without limitation: (1) markets into which we sell our products declining or not growing as anticipated; (2) fluctuations in the global economic and political environments; (3) our failure to introduce new products in a timely manner; (4) our ability to execute acquisitions and license technologies, or to successfully integrate acquired businesses and licensed technologies into our existing business or to make them profitable, or successfully divest businesses; (5) our failure to adequately protect our intellectual property; (6) the loss of any of our licenses or licensed rights; (7) our ability to compete effectively; (8) fluctuation in our quarterly operating results and our ability to adjust our operations to address unexpected changes; (9) significant disruption in third-party package delivery and import/export services or significant increases in prices for those services; (10) disruptions in the supply of raw materials and supplies; (11) the manufacture and sale of products exposing us to product liability claims; (12) our failure to maintain compliance with applicable government regulations; (13) regulatory changes; (14) our failure to comply with healthcare industry regulations; (15) economic, political and other risks associated with foreign operations; (16) our ability to retain key personnel; (17) significant disruption in our information technology systems; (18) our ability to obtain future financing; (19) restrictions in our credit agreements; (20) our ability to realize the full value of our intangible assets; (21) significant fluctuations in our stock price; (22) reduction or elimination of dividends on our common stock; and (23) other factors which we describe under the caption "Risk Factors" in our most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We disclaim any intention or obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this press release.

About PerkinElmer

PerkinElmer, Inc. is a global leader focused on improving the health and safety of people and the environment. The company reported revenue of approximately $1.9 billion in 2011, has about 7,400 employees serving customers in more than 150 countries, and is a component of the S&P 500 Index. Additional information is available through 1-877-PKI-NYSE, or at www.perkinelmer.com.

About the verifi®prenatal test

The verifi® prenatal test is a blood test that analyzes genetic material (or DNA) naturally found in a pregnant woman's blood to detect the most common fetal chromosome abnormalities. When directed by a physician, the verifi® test can be offered to pregnant women of at least 10 weeks gestation at high risk of carrying a fetus with a genetic abnormality. For more information on the verifi® test, please contact Verinata Health's Client Services at 1-855-266-6563 (BMOMKND).

About Verinata Health

Verinata Health, Inc. is driven by a sole, extraordinary purpose - maternal and fetal health. Our initial focus is to develop and offer non-invasive tests for early identification of fetal chromosomal abnormalities using our proprietary technologies. We aim to reduce the anxiety associated with today's multi-step process, the unacceptable false-positive rates, the non-specific and sometimes confusing results of current prenatal screening methods, as well as the risk of current invasive procedures. We support national guidelines and the recent American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Committee Opinion recommending cell-free DNA prenatal testing is one option that can be used as a primary or secondary screening test in women at increased risk of aneuploidy. We believe women who desire such testing should be offered a single blood draw test with a definitive result. The verifi® prenatal test is available in the United States through a physician. For more information about Verinata, please go to www.verinata.com



Investor Relations:
PerkinElmer, Inc.
Tommy Thomas, 781-663-5889
tommy.thomas@perkinelmer.com
or
Media Contacts:
Edelman (On behalf of PerkinElmer, Inc.)
Paul Barren, 404-460-9679
paul.barren@edelman.com
or
PerkinElmer, Inc.
Stephanie R. Wasco, 781-663-5701
stephanie.wasco@perkinelmer.com
or
Verinata Health, Inc.
Angela Bitting, 925-202-6211
abitting@verinata.com
or
Brewlife (On behalf of Verinata)
Denise Powell, 510-703-9491
dpowell@brewlife.com

KEYWORDS: United States North America California Massachusetts

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