X-Rite's Cholesterol Test Partner Gets the Attention of the American Heart Association
15 November 2000
X-Rite's Cholesterol Test Partner Gets the Attention of the American Heart Association
GRANDVILLE, Mich.--Nov. 15, 2000--X-Rite, Incorporated , a world-leader in manufacturing sophisticated measurement devices, systems, and processes, announced today that its partner in the Non-Invasive Skin Cholesterol Test, IMI International Medical Innovations Inc. , has disclosed positive clinical trial results presented at the American Heart Association meeting held in New Orleans earlier this week.X-Rite will be the exclusive instrument supplier for the point of care test used to determine skin cholesterol.
The new test, called Cholesterol 1,2,3(TM), does not involve blood, fasting or waiting hours or days for results. It is a three-minute test done with two drops of liquid on the palm of the hand. A color change is read with a highly sensitive reader manufactured by X-Rite, Incorporated. It provides the health professional with a quantifiable result that indicates the patient's risk for cardiovascular disease.
Results of the 400-patient clinical trial show that high levels of skin cholesterol closely parallel coronary artery blockage, which can lead to heart attack. Patients in the trial also underwent angiography (dye injected in the veins through a catheter and viewed) to detect blockages in their arteries.
"This is the most important study done on skin cholesterol to date because it compares the test with angiography -- the gold standard for diagnosing arteriosclerosis," said Dr. Dennis Sprecher, lead investigator for the trial and a cardiologist at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. "There is a correlation between a patient's skin cholesterol and the number of blood vessels with significant disease, which tells us the skin cholesterol test is an effective predictor of disease."
Earlier research done using the skin cholesterol test compared Cholesterol 1,2,3 with stress test results, and showed a strong correlation prompting the latest research. Because angiography is the more commonly accepted standard for measuring coronary artery disease, a trial comparing Cholesterol 1,2,3 to angiography was necessary to demonstrate the test's true effectiveness.
Doctor's office, pharmacy and potentially at home:
Cholesterol 1,2,3(TM) was developed by Canadian predictive medicine company IMI International Medical Innovations Inc. and uses X-Rite instrumentation. The company expects to submit the product to the Canadian Health Protection Branch for approval early next year, and approval could come as quickly as six weeks later.
"Americans may start seeing Cholesterol 1,2,3 tests in their doctor's office and pharmacy as early as this spring," said Dr. Brent Norton, President of IMI and a family physician. "The research presented at the AHA will form the basis of our FDA submission."
"At the same time, we are continuing research to confirm that skin cholesterol can be used to monitor a patient's response to cholesterol-lowering therapies used by hundreds of thousands of Canadians. That could also lead to a home version of the Cholesterol 1,2,3 test," said Dr. Norton.
About IMI
IMI is a Canadian and world leader in predictive medicine, dedicated to developing innovative products for the rapid and early detection of life-threatening conditions, particularly cardiovascular disease and cancer. IMI is located in Toronto, with shares traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange . For further information, please contact Andrew Weir, Director of Communications via telephone 416-222-3449 x 27, email to aweir@imin.ca, or visit the IMI Website, www.imin.ca.
About X-Rite
X-Rite, Incorporated is a world-leader in producing sophisticated measurement devices, systems, and processes. Many large, multi-national firms use X-Rite's products and services for a variety of applications including corporate branding, medical diagnostics, and image reproduction. Sales and service offices throughout Europe, Asia and the Americas support the Company's North American and European manufacturing, research & development facilities. For more information, contact X-Rite, Incorporated: 3100 44th Street, S.W., Grandville, Mich., 49418, USA; Telephone (616) 534-7663; Fax (616) 534-9212; Website: http://www.x-rite.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, due to a variety of factors, some of which may be beyond the control of the Company.