New Gene Expression Test will make Diagnosing Coronary Artery Disease Simpler

CardioDX, a cardiovascular genomic diagnostics company, has completed a multi-center study validating the effectiveness of Corus CAD, the self-billed “first and only gene expression test to quantify the likelihood of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with stable chest pain.”

Using the expression levels of 23 genes and other patient characteristics, the Corus CAD system is used in conjunction with “standard clinical assessments” to “determine the presence of obstructive CAD in patients with stable chest pain,” according to the system’s developers. This new expression test will enable physicians to gain information on the molecular and cellular levels, in addition to the routine assessment for CAD, which will, according to the developers, enable physicians to gather “a more complete picture” and “better individualize patient care.”

According to the press release, the Corus CAD gene expression test “is intended to be used in an outpatient setting with clinically stable, non-diabetic patients who present with chest pain or who have a high risk of coronary artery disease, but without previously diagnosed myocardial infarction (heart attack) or prior revascularization procedure.” The researchers also reported that the test has proven to be “convenient and safe,” requiring only “a standard blood draw procedure.”

The recently completed Personalized Risk Evaluation and Diagnosis in the Coronary Tree (PREDICT) study utilized more than 2,800 patient samples from over 40 sites in the US. At the end of this validation study, CardioDX made the Corus CAD system available to healthcare professionals in nine states (Kentucky, Maryland, Illinois, Washington, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Carolina, Texas, and Arizona). The new gene expression test will have been evaluated in a full study by the end of 2009, to be published in 2010.

“Our decision to develop Corus CAD was derived from many physician interactions in which they stressed the importance of and current challenges with effectively assessing obstructive CAD in patients with stable chest pain,” said David Levison, chief executive officer of CardioDX. “We envision that a non-invasive, objective, easy-to-use test such as Corus CAD will empower physicians to more confidently identify which of these patients may have obstructive CAD.”