Crescendo Bioscience Announces Laboratory Clearance for Use of Vectra® DA in New York

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., April 18, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Crescendo Bioscience(R), a molecular diagnostics company developing and commercializing quantitative, biology-based tests for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other autoimmune diseases, announced today that the Wadsworth Center at the New York Department of Health through its Clinical Laboratory Evaluation Program (CLEP) issued a laboratory permit to Crescendo Bioscience to provide services to physicians in New York. Crescendo Bioscience offers Vectra(R) DA, a multi-biomarker blood test that measures disease activity in RA by integrating 12 key proteins consistently associated with the biology of RA into one single, objective and quantitative score to help physicians make more informed patient management decisions. With this clearance, Vectra DA is now available in all 50 states.

"This is welcome news for the more than 400 rheumatologists in New York," said Max Hamburger, M.D., President of the New York State Rheumatology Society. "In order to effectively treat our patients, we need to have the most advanced technology available that can help bring us closer to achieving treatment success. Vectra DA is a valuable tool that can enhance the assessment of RA disease activity to aid rheumatologists in achieving better management of the disease."

"This is an exciting step in our continuing efforts to bring Vectra DA to more RA patients to help improve their care," states William. A. Hagstrom, President and Chief Executive Officer of Crescendo Bioscience. "Since Vectra DA's introduction in late 2010, more than 20 percent of rheumatologists in the U.S. have successfully used Vectra DA to evaluate more than 40,000 patients' disease. We look forward to working with rheumatologists in New York and across the U.S. to increase access to the important information that Vectra DA provides."

"New York's CLEP clearance is further evidence of the quality of the testing performed by Crescendo. Vectra DA can offer insight on disease activity that may not be captured by current standards of RA measurement," states Stephen Paget, MD, FACP, FACR, Physician in Chief Emeritus of the Division of Rheumatology at the Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY. "Vectra DA brings a deep understanding of the underlying disease biology that can be utilized in the clinic and in clinical trials as we continue to develop potential new treatments for RA patients."

About Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

RA is a debilitating, highly variable, chronic disease affecting approximately 1.5 million Americans and more than 2 million people in Europe. The primary symptoms of RA are joint inflammation, pain and fatigue, with the disease often resulting in joint damage and disability. RA is a systemic disease and can significantly damage other parts of the body as well, resulting in infection, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease, a leading cause of death for RA patients.

Clinicians assess RA based on three factors: disease activity (clinical signs and symptoms), structural damage such as erosions, and functional status (including pain). Current assessment tools used by physicians are qualitative and subjective and may not identify the underlying changes of the disease.

Early and accurate detection of RA, followed with frequent monitoring and responsive therapeutic adjustments, is critical to improving clinical outcomes. Advocates, such as the American College of Rheumatology, are developing "Treat to Target" and "Tight Control" guidelines to help clinicians manage patients to achieve both clinical remission and structural damage remission, which leads to improved functional status.

About Vectra(R) DA

Vectra DA is the only multi-biomarker blood test for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity that simultaneously integrates 12 key proteins consistently associated with RA disease activity into a single objective score to help physicians make more informed treatment decisions. Vectra DA testing is performed at Crescendo Bioscience's state-of-the-art CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) facility and test results are reported back within 7-10 days of receipt of sample. Physicians can either receive test results via standard mail or fax or via the private web portal, VectraTMView. For more information on Vectra DA, please visit, www.Vectra-DA.com.

About Crescendo Bioscience(R), Inc.

Crescendo Bioscience is a molecular diagnostics company focused in rheumatology and located in South San Francisco, CA. Crescendo Bioscience develops quantitative, objective, biology-based tests to provide rheumatologists with deeper clinical insights to help enable more effective management of patients with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. For more information, please visit the company's website at http://www.CrescendoBio.com.

Contact:

Media Contact:

Terri Clevenger

Continuum Health Communications

203-856-4326

tclevenger@continuumhealthcom.com

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