SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., June 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- diaDexus, Inc. (OTC QB: DDXS), a company focused on the development and commercialization of proprietary cardiovascular diagnostic products, today announced that Robert J. Schott, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.C., has been appointed to the position of vice president of medical affairs. Dr. Schott brings 30 years of medical experience to diaDexus, the majority as a practicing cardiologist, which will be highly relevant as the company continues to expand the market awareness of both the PLAC®Test ELISA Kit and the PLAC® Test for Lp-PLA2 Activity, simple blood tests that aid in assessing risk for coronary heart disease (CHD), ischemic stroke and cardiovascular disease. Dr. Schott most recently served as medical director and the director of cardiometabolic research at the Profil Institute for Clinical Research.
“Dr. Schott is an important addition to our leadership team. His depth of knowledge, experience and relationships in the cardiology field will accelerate development of physician education programs necessary to drive awareness of our PLAC® blood tests. These diagnostics have a remarkable ability to help uncover a hidden risk of heart attack and stroke,” stated Brian E. Ward, Ph.D., chief executive officer of diaDexus. “Dr. Schott’s expertise will be instrumental not only in working closely with clinicians but also in supporting our reimbursement initiatives in order to maximize the value of our product portfolio for shareholders.”
Dr. Schott joins diaDexus from San Diego where he was director of cardiometabolic research at the Profil Institute for Clinical Research, which specializes in early phase clinical research in diabetes and cardiometabolic disease. Previously, Dr. Schott was the chairman of cardiology at Deborah Heart and Lung Center, and the vice president of medical affairs and chief of cardiology at Sutter Medical Center in Sacramento. Dr. Schott holds B.S., M.D. and M.P.H. degrees from the University of Michigan, where he trained in internal medicine. He trained in cardiology at the Massachusetts General Hospital and was a Burgher Fellow at the Harvard Medical School. He was previously affiliated with Berkeley Heart Labs, where he was the associate director of the Lipid Institute Medical Clinic and was also a research scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Experimental Cardiology in Bad Nauheim.
“I am very enthusiastic about joining diaDexus. I have used the PLAC test as a preventive cardiologist, and have long found this marker of vascular inflammation to be clinically useful in the effort to more fully characterize heart attack and stroke risk in the growing population of patients who are susceptible to vascular events,” stated Dr. Schott. “The PLAC® Test ELISA kit is FDA-approved and is recognized as a test which is well-validated as a marker for the short-term risk of heart attack and stroke. As a cardiologist who has treated thousands of patients over the years, I very much look forward to increasing our awareness of all the available tools for the detection of diseases which are increasingly manageable, diseases that when undertreated frequently have consequences that are devastating.”
About diaDexus, Inc.
diaDexus, Inc., based in South San Francisco, California, is focused on the development and commercialization of proprietary diagnostic products addressing unmet needs in cardiovascular disease. The company’s PLAC® Test ELISA Kit is the only blood test cleared by the FDA to aid in predicting risk for both coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke associated with atherosclerosis, the #1 and #3 causes of death, respectively, in the United States. The company’s PLAC® Test for Lp-PLA2 Activity, a CE-marked test, is an indicator of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, the #1 cause of death in Europe. diaDexus is ISO 13485 certified and is manufacturing the PLAC Test for Lp-PLA2 Activity on-site. For more information, please visit the company’s website at www.diaDexus.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the company’s plans, objectives, expectations and intentions with respect to future operations and products and other statements that are not historical in nature, particularly those that use terminology such as “will,” “potential”, “could,” “can,” “believe,” “intends,” “continue,” “plans,” “expects,” “estimates” or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions, and entail various known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. Important factors known to diaDexus that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements include diaDexus’ ability to grow acceptance of the PLAC® Test for Lp-PLA2 Activity following recent introduction in Europe; diaDexus’ ability to gain acceptance of and educational efforts regarding its PLAC® Test products in the marketplace, including its ability to demonstrate that treatment of individuals based on their Lp-PLA2 levels improves clinical outcomes in prospective clinical studies; various risks associated with the international expansion of diaDexus’ business; diaDexus’ dependence on its distributors for foreign sales of that test; diaDexus’ ability to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel; and diaDexus’ limited revenue and cash resources. Additional factors that could cause diaDexus’ results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in diaDexus’ most recent annual report on Form 10-K and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and available at the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov. The information set forth herein speaks only as of the date hereof, and diaDexus disclaims any intention and does not assume any obligation to update or revise any forward looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
SOURCE diaDexus, Inc.
