By Ron Shinkman, Editor, Laboratory Industry Report
The Ohio-based Cleveland HeartLab (CHL) has acquired technology developed by Stanford University that can more accurately predict the likelihood of heart attacks.
Known as MIRISK, its nucleus is an algorithm that analyzes blood proteins associated with the development of what is known as vulnerable plaque, which can constrict coronary blood vessels. Taken together with other known risk factors, MIRISK can determine an individual’s probability of experiencing a heart attack within the following five years. The patient’s physician can then recommend either clinical interventions or lifestyle changes that would minimize the risk of actually suffering a heart attack.
The acquisition by CHL includes intellectual property, copyrights and brand assets of MIRISK, which had previously been owned by biotech firm Aviir, which filed for bankruptcy protection last year. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
“The MIRISK acquisition further illustrates CHL’s commitment to commercializing scientifically proven and medically relevant tests,” said Jake Orville, CHL’s chief executive officer. “CHL has a strong history of innovation and this acquisition further advances our mission of aiding clinicians in identifying risk and reducing cardiovascular events.
The platform could be used to further the marketing and penetration of CHL’s test menu. Its 140 assays focus primarily on predicting the risk of heart disease. But according to CHL executives, they can still only catch heart attack risks about 50 percent of the time, even though clinicians believe up to 80 percent of heart attacks are preventable.
Our proprietary CVD inflammation testing has been validated to show risk assessment in hundreds of studies. MIRISK complements our arsenal of prognostic testing,” said Marc Penn, M.D., CHL’s chief medical officer.