A Medical Device Daily

Navigenics (Redwood Shores, California), a genetic health services company, reported a new study of genetic predisposition analysis. The Mayo Clinic study will examine how patients understand and use information provided by a Navigenics genetic risk assessment, the company said. The research also addresses physicians' understanding of genetic assessments and the impact of such information on preventive health decision-making. Titled "A Proof of Principal Trial of Communication to Patients Receiving Predictive Genetic Risk Assessment," the study begins this month and runs through September 2009. Navigenics and Mayo Clinic are running the study jointly.

According to Navigenics, its Health Compass is a genetic risk assessment service that combines and advanced genome scan with the latest discoveries in genetic medicine and personalized genetic counseling. It is designed to give patients information on their genetic predisposition to developing a broad range of common conditions so that, with their doctors, they can seek earlier diagnosis, delay the onset or prevent the conditions, the company said.

In other agreements:

• MedStar Health (Columbia, Maryland), a hospital and healthcare provider, Rite Aid (Camp Hill, Pennsylvania), and Consumer Health Services (Washington), a manager of on-site physician-staffed health clinics, have entered into an agreement to launch MedStar PromptCare walk-in health clinics inside select Rite Aid stores.
  The clinic sites will open this summer at four locations in the Baltimore and Washington, DC, metropolitan areas.
  MedStar Health will provide clinical oversight and ensure access to necessary follow-up specialty and acute medical services for the clinics. According to MedStar, the partnership will provide patients with "convenient, high-quality medical care," without an appointment, that is integrated with MedStar Health-affiliated physicians and hospitals.
  MedStar PromptCare clinics will be staffed by physicians to provide treatment for most commonly occurring ailments such as strep throat, flu and urinary tract infections; minor injuries such as lacerations, sprains and minor fractures, as well as health and wellness screenings and vaccinations.
• QuantRx Biomedical (Doylestown, Pennsylvania) said it has concluded the development of the Fieldtests ID product line for identifying drugs-of-abuse residue.
  QuantRx has entered into an exclusive manufacturing agreement with Fieldtests.
  The new products represent a break-through technology for the field-testing of narcotic residues in both the law enforcement and occupational health marketplace, QuantRx said.
  Len Jonker, president of Fieldtests, said, "QuantRx will be our exclusive manufacturer for this product which allows us to introduce a new paradigm in the field-testing of narcotics."
  Fieldtests has also agreed to distribute QuantRx's QuikSense Drugs-of-Abuse products through its distribution channels, and intends to add other QuantRx products, such as RapidSense and OralSense, as they are introduced to the market. These distribution and manufacturing agreements are expected to positively impact QuantRx revenue in 2008.
  "This new product line will allow QuantRx the ability to enter into the law enforcement and occupational health market with a partner who has over 15 years of experience in the field," said Cindy Horton, QuantRx VP of Diagnostics.