Interpace Diagnostics Announces New Partnership with Israeli Specialty Services Provider

PARSIPPANY, N.J., Jan. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Interpace Diagnostics Corp. ("Interpace" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: IDXG), a company that provides clinically useful molecular diagnostic tests and pathology services for evaluating risks of cancer, announced today that the Company has entered in to an Agreement (the "Agreement") with Best Med Opinion Ltd ("Best Med") of Tel Aviv, Israel, a provider of second opinion and clinical services for physicians and patients in Israel and several other countries. 

Best Med has developed a network of specialty providers in the U.S. and other countries to assist local physicians and patients in ensuring all clinical options are known and explored before a particular course of treatment is selected.  Best Med has expertise in over 40 specialties, including Ear Nose and Throat, Endocrinology, and Gastroenterology, all focus areas for Interpace's molecular products. 

As part of the Agreement, Best Med  will provide physicians and patients with information regarding the Company's ThyGenX®, ThyraMir®, and PancraGen® tests, and when these tests are selected to support and inform treatment decisions, manage the logistics associated with collecting and shipping samples to Interpace's CLIA laboratories and report results back to the ordering physician.  The Agreement designates Best Med as the exclusive provider of Interpace's products for the country of Israel.  No other terms of the Agreement were made available. 

This Agreement is part of the Company's international expansion to leverage the opportunities for its products outside the U.S. market.  In addition to seeing a significant domestic opportunity for growth, the Company believes there is an increasing opportunity for international expansion largely due to interest expressed for access to its unique molecular diagnostic products. In response to this growing interest, the Company has established specific processes for logistics, specimen handling, and other key elements to address the nuances of working with global partners.  Under the Agreement, providers in Israel will be able to order all of Interpace's marketed molecular diagnostic products. 

Best Med evaluated several molecular products in an effort to expand their own service menu and determined that Interpace's products best met the clinical needs of patients with potential thyroid or pancreatic cancer. They reviewed the peer reviewed publications and other evidence supporting the clinical validity and utility of Interpace's tests.   

Eran Lazar, CEO of Best Med Opinion Ltd., said, "We are very enthusiastic about our partnership with Interpace.  Their products fill an important role in our efforts to provide physicians and patients with access to the best diagnostic tools available to help inform treatment decisions." 

Jack E. Stover, President and CEO of Interpace, stated, "We are excited about our relationship with Best Med.  Their selection of our products and services is an important validation of our potential to expand internationally." 

About Thyroid Nodules, ThyGenX and ThyraMIR testing

According to the American Thyroid Association, approximately 15% to 30% of the 525,000 thyroid fine needle aspirations (FNAs) performed on an annual basis in the U.S. are indeterminate for malignancy based on standard cytological evaluation, and thus are candidates for ThyGenX and ThyraMIR.

ThyGenX and ThyraMIR reflex testing yields high predictive value in determining the presence and absence of cancer in thyroid nodules.  The combination of both tests can improve risk stratification and surgical decision-making when standard cytopathology does not provide a clear diagnosis for the presence of cancer.

ThyGenX utilizes state-of-the-art next-generation sequencing (NGS) to identify more than 100 genetic alterations associated with papillary and follicular thyroid carcinomas, the two most common forms of thyroid cancer. ThyraMIR is the first microRNA gene expression classifier.  MicroRNAs are small, non-coding RNAs that bind to messenger RNA and regulate expression of genes involved in human cancers, including every subtype of thyroid cancer. ThyraMIR measures the expression of 10 microRNAs.  Both ThyGenX and ThyraMIR are covered by both Medicare and commercial insurers. 

About Pancreatic Cysts and PancraGEN

PancraGEN is a pancreatic cyst molecular test that, by using a small sample of pancreatic cyst fluid, can aid in pancreatic cancer risk assessment. PancraGEN is 90% accurate, according to clinical studies, enabling effective risk stratification of patients.  Pancreatic cancer is often difficult to diagnose in early stages and typically spreads rapidly with signs and symptoms appearing when the cancer is significantly advanced. Because of this, and that complete surgical removal of the pancreas is not possible, pancreatic cancer is considered a leading cause of cancer deaths.

About Interpace Diagnostics Group, Inc.

Interpace  is a company that provides clinically useful molecular diagnostic tests and pathology services for evaluating risk of cancer by leveraging the latest technology in personalized medicine for better patient diagnosis and management. The Company currently has three commercialized molecular tests; PancraGen for the diagnosis and prognosis of pancreatic cancer from pancreatic cysts; ThyGenX, for the diagnosis of thyroid cancer from thyroid nodules utilizing a next generation sequencing assay and ThyraMIR, for the diagnosis of thyroid cancer from thyroid nodules utilizing a proprietary gene expression assay. Interpace's mission is to provide personalized medicine through molecular diagnostics and innovation to advance patient care based on rigorous science.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, relating to our future financial and operating performance. The Company has attempted to identify forward looking statements by terminology including "believes," "estimates," "anticipates," "expects," "plans," "projects," "intends," "potential," "may," "could," "might," "will," "should," "approximately" or other words that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes to identify these forward-looking statements.  These statements are based on current expectations, assumptions and uncertainties involving judgments about, among other things, future economic, competitive and market conditions and future business decisions, all of which are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many of which are beyond the Company's control. These statements also involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statement. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to, our ability to adequately finance the business, our ability to restructure our debt and other obligations, our ability to meet our obligations as they become due, the market's acceptance of our molecular diagnostic tests; our ability to secure additional business and generate higher profit margins through sales of our molecular diagnostic tests, in-licensing or other means, projections of future revenues, growth, gross profit and anticipated internal rate of return on investments and our ability to maintain our NASDAQ listing. Additionally, all forward-looking statements are subject to the risk factors detailed from time to time in the Company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including without limitation, the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 30, 2016 as amended on April 29, 2016 and June 14, 2016, and the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on November 17, 2016. Because of these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions, undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements. In addition, these statements speak only as of the date of this press release and, except as may be required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason.

CONTACTS:
Interpace Diagnostics Group, Inc.
Investor Relations:
Paul Kuntz – Redchip
paul@redchip.com

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SOURCE Interpace Diagnostics Corp.