HomeNews & PressCincinnati Children’s Issued Patent Covering Individualized Medication Dosing Technology Being Commercialized by Assurex Health Cincinnati Children’s Issued Patent Covering Individualized Medication Dosing Technology Being Commercialized by Assurex Health December 2, 2013News & Press Patent Describes Methods to Adjust Dosing of Psychotropic and Other Medications Mason & Cincinnati, OH – December 2, 2013 – Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) and Assurex Health today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued U.S. Patent No. 8,589,175 encompassing the “Optimization and Individualization of Medication Selection and Dosing” by Cincinnati Children’s inventors Drs. Tracy A. Glauser, Richard J. Wenstrup*, Alexander A. Vinks, and John P. Pestian. The CCHMC patent covers methods for optimizing dosing regimens for medications utilizing population models, genotype, and clinical information to treat patients with neuropsychiatric and other disorders. Assurex Health is the exclusive worldwide licensee of the technology covered under the CCHMC patent and has developed pharmacogenomic tests for psychiatric, ADHD, and pain medications commercialized under the GeneSight® brand. The Cincinnati Children’s invention provides a mechanism for translating “one size fits all” drug dosing into individualized dosing based on a person’s genetic and non-heritable characteristics. The methods of the invention can be applied to correct for the variability seen in drug metabolism due to genetic polymorphisms combined with the variability resulting from non-genetic factors. The results provide a way to standardize the impact of various fixed factors, such as a patient’s genetic variability, and dynamic factors, such as drug-drug and drug-environment interactions or patient drug-adherence. As a result, the starting and target doses for neuropsychiatric and other medications can be determined without the need for metabolic data. GeneSight is a unique pharmacogenomic treatment decision support tool that tests for clinically important genetic variants affecting a patient’s response to neuropsychiatric medications. Prescribing a medication that may be more likely to succeed because it is tailored to an individual patient’s genetic profile enables clinicians to better manage their patient’s condition and improve outcomes. For example, the recently published La Crosse clinical study showed a four-fold greater improvement in symptoms for patients whose medications were switched from their initial medications that were genetically discordant with their GeneSight profile. Furthermore, physicians for 94% of the GeneSight-guided patients either switched their patients to genetically appropriate medications or adjusted their medication dosages according to the GeneSight report. “The Cincinnati Children’s patent represents a significant advance in pharmacogenomic-directed prescribing. The addition of dosing information to our GeneSight products will enhance their value as the premier treatment decision support products that help clinicians individualize the selection of psychotropic and other medications for their patients,” said James S. Burns, CEO of Assurex Health. “Assurex Health was founded to develop and commercialize cutting-edge pharmacogenomic research at CCHMC. The issuance of this dose selection patent represents another milestone in translating state-of-the-art pharmacogenomic products to support the treatment of patients with neuropsychiatric and other disorders.” “Individualizing both the selection and dosing of medications will improve patient outcomes by providing objective, evidence-based information to tailor treatment programs,” said Tracy A. Glauser, M.D., Associate Director, Cincinnati Children’s Research Foundation and lead inventor on the CCHMC patent. “The issuance of this patent points to the importance of pharmacogenomic-directed prescribing and its potential to improve patient care in routine clinical practice.” About Assurex Health Assurex Health is a personalized medicine company that specializes in pharmacogenomics and is dedicated to helping physicians determine the right medication for individual patients suffering from neuropsychiatric and other disorders. The company was founded to commercialize industry-leading personalized medicine technology for neuropsychiatric disorders. Assurex Health has licensed technology from Mayo Clinic and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Cincinnati Children’s has a financial interest in the technology referenced in this news release. For more information about Assurex Health, please visit www.assurexhealth.com. About Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center ranks third in the nation among all Honor Roll hospitals in the U.S. News and World Report’s 2013 Best Children’s Hospitals ranking. It is ranked #1 for cancer and in the top 10 for nine of 10 pediatric specialties. Cincinnati Children’s, a non-profit organization, is one of the top three recipients of pediatric research grants from the National Institutes of Health, and a research and teaching affiliate of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. The Cincinnati Children’s Research Foundation is one of the largest pediatric research centers in the nation, receiving over $150 million in grants annually and employs more than 500 faculty in over 50 academic departments. The medical center is recognized internationally for improving child health and transforming delivery of care through fully integrated, globally recognized research, education, and innovation. Additional information can be found at www.cincinnatichildrens.org. Connect on the Cincinnati Children’s blog, via Facebook and on Twitter. About GeneSight GeneSight is a laboratory-developed pharmacogenomic test that uses cutting edge technology to measure and analyze clinically important genomic variants in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. The results of the GeneSight report can help a clinician understand the way a patient’s unique genomic makeup may affect certain psychiatric drugs. The analysis is based on pharmacogenomics, the study of genomic factors that influence an individual’s response to drug treatments, manufacturers’ FDA approved drug labels, peer reviewed scientific and clinical publications, and proven drug pharmacology. Quick turnaround time, combined with a customized report of the patient’s genomic makeup, clinical experience, and other factors can provide information to help a physician make personalized drug treatment choices for each patient. * Richard J. Wenstrup currently serves as Chief Medical Officer at Myriad Genetics, Inc. Patient Common Antidepressant Side Effects Taking an antidepressant can be an effective way to help treat a mental health condition like depression or anxiety. However, these medications can also cre... 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Read more Patient The Model Minority Myth and Mental Health The model minority myth stereotypes one cultural group, typically Asian Americans, as “intelligent, hard-working, and diligent and therefore more academically, ... Read more Learn more Learn more about GeneSight How to talk to your provider View our clinical studies
Patient Common Antidepressant Side Effects Taking an antidepressant can be an effective way to help treat a mental health condition like depression or anxiety. However, these medications can also cre... Read more
Patient MTHFR Mutations: Clinical Implications and Management Strategies MTHFR mutations—changes in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene—have gained increased attention in the medical community due to their potent... Read more
Patient Can an App Help Me Manage My Anxiety? Health and wellness smartphone apps have become so common that if you can name a health goal, desire or condition, you can probably find an app for it. N... Read more
Patient Black Trailblazers of Psychiatry and Mental Health: A Legacy of Healing and Advocacy As we celebrate Black History Month, we want to recognize a few individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the field of psychiatry and mental heal... Read more
Patient Mindful Moments: Tips for Anxiety If a well-meaning friend or family member has ever told you to “just breathe” when you’re feeling worked up or stressed out, you’d be forgiven if you felt l... Read more
Patient Hints To Help You Have A Better New Year The holidays have ended, and a new year has begun—a time when many embrace a fresh start by setting New Year’s resolutions. This year, why not consider s... Read more
Patient Movement as Medicine: Solutions for Anxiety Moving forward. It sounds like a nice idea, especially when you’re feeling stuck deep in the throes of an anxiety spiral. But it turns out that physically m... Read more
Patient Weight-Loss Drugs and Mental Health: What You Need to Know New medications for weight loss seem to be flying off pharmacy shelves these days. But could they be linked to mental health conditions? Researchers are ... Read more
Patient 3 million patients (and counting!) have now taken the GeneSight test! We’re thrilled to share that 3 million patients (and counting!) have now taken the GeneSight test! We're so grateful to the dedicated healthcare providers who... Read more
Patient The Model Minority Myth and Mental Health The model minority myth stereotypes one cultural group, typically Asian Americans, as “intelligent, hard-working, and diligent and therefore more academically, ... Read more