ChemTrak announces Japanese licensing deal for technology breakthrough in asthma patient testing.SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 16, 1996--ChemTrak Inc. (NASDAQ NASDAQ in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on :CMTR CMTR Certified Material Test Report CMTR Combined Marginal Tax Rate ) has completed a licensing and distribution agreement with Jokoh Co. Ltd. Japan to introduce ChemTrak's non-instrumented, quantitative, whole-blood test for the asthma drug theophylline theophylline /the·oph·yl·line/ (the-of´i-lin) a xanthine derivative found in tea leaves and prepared synthetically; its salts and derivatives act as smooth muscle relaxants, central nervous system and cardiac muscle stimulants, and into the Japanese marketplace. In a related action, ChemTrak also announced that it has submitted a 510(k) pre-market notification application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to introduce the new test into the U.S. market. The company's new theophylline test marks the fourth extension of ChemTrak's proprietary AccuMeter(r) technology into the medical diagnostic market. In 1994, ChemTrak introduced the first home cholesterol test Cholesterol Test Definition The cholesterol test is a quantitative analysis of the cholesterol levels in a sample of the patient's blood. Total serum cholesterol (TC) is the measurement routinely taken. , now marketed under the CholesTrak brandname. In addition, ChemTrak has developed a test for the measurement of H. pylori bacteria and is one of three companies bringing a home test system for HIV HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), either of two closely related retroviruses that invade T-helper lymphocytes and are responsible for AIDS. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is responsible for the vast majority of AIDS in the United States. to market. Both the H. pylori and HIV products are awaiting FDA FDA abbr. Food and Drug Administration FDA, n.pr See Food and Drug Administration. FDA, n.pr the abbreviation for the Food and Drug Administration. clearance. Approximately 6 million patients take theophylline to relieve or prevent symptoms of asthma. The drug is effective only over a limited range: too little is ineffective, too much causes side effects that include headache, nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure, tachycardia tachycardia: see arrhythmia. tachycardia Heart rate over 100 (as high as 240) beats per minute. When it is a normal response to exercise or stress, it is no danger to healthy people, but when it originates elsewhere, it is an arrhythmia. , arrhythmia arrhythmia (ārĭth`mēə), disturbance in the rate or rhythm of the heartbeat. Various arrhythmias can be symptoms of serious heart disorders; however, they are usually of no medical significance except in the presence of and convulsions Convulsions Also termed seizures; a sudden violent contraction of a group of muscles. Mentioned in: Heat Disorders . Also, the safe and effective range for theophylline varies from patient to patient. Monitoring theophylline levels helps clinicians establish and maintain safe and effective dosages in both acute and chronic treatment, and more than 20 million theophylline tests are routinely performed in clinical laboratories in the United States every year, with results sometimes not available for hours or even days. ChemTrak's AccuMeter Theophylline Test enables the physician to monitor theophylline drug levels with ease -- during a single office visit. The test is simple enough to be prescribed for home use to check night-time or early morning concentrations of the drug, information which could improve patient management critically. The company believes that its AccuMeter Theophylline Test will be, if approved by Japanese authorities, the only non-instrumented, quantitative, whole-blood test for theophylline offered in Japan. ``What this means for the health-care professional and patient alike is an efficient, user-friendly test that is both economical and accurate,'' reported Dr. Prithipal Singh, ChemTrak CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. . ``The theophylline test is another example of the ability of ChemTrak's AccuMeter technology to benefit the health-care industry in terms of improved patient care at lower cost in a wide variety of protocols.'' ``With H. pylori, cholesterol, HIV and theophylline testing systems now in market or in clinical trials, we are confident that our company and its products will continue to be on the forefront of the home test and simplified diagnostics industries,'' added Singh. Jokoh is a 48-year-old, 12 billion yen company that specializes in clinical laboratory analytical product manufacturing and marketing. ChemTrak is a full-service personal diagnostics company that develops and manufactures reliable and easy-to-use home testing systems. ChemTrak test kits are designed to screen and diagnose health conditions with accuracy comparable to physician office and laboratory tests. CONTACT: ChemTrak Inc., Sunnyvale Alene Holzman, 408/773-8156 or Freeman/McCue Public Relations Timothy L. Dolan, 714/557-3663 |
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