WALTHAM, MA – PerkinElmer, Inc., a global leader focused on improving the health and safety of people and the environment, today announced that its NTD Laboratories business will be a participant in Aetna’s network of contracted laboratories. PerkinElmer NTD Laboratories is the exclusive provider of the first trimester Down Syndrome screening protocol that uses the free-Beta hCG biomarker. The multi-year agreement is effective immediately and applies to all Aetna health plans.
“We are pleased that Aetna members will now have access to free-Beta hCG testing to screen for Down Syndrome in the first trimester,” said Dr. John Sherwin, director of laboratory operations, NTD Labs and PKI Genetics, PerkinElmer. “PerkinElmer’s agreement with Aetna greatly expands coverage for this screening protocol on a national level, providing women and their physicians with a reliable screening option validated by 18 clinical trials involving over 194,000 patients.”
PerkinElmer’s Genetic Screening business is focused on healthy pregnancies, babies and families and provides clinical lab testing services and systems to assess health risks and preserve newborn cord blood stem cells to provide potentially life-saving treatment options.
PerkinElmer NTD Labs, a leader in the prenatal screening industry, pioneered the use of the free-Beta hCG screening protocol, which reliably assesses a mother’s risk for carrying a child with Down Syndrome and Trisomies 18 and 13 during the first trimester. Samples are collected on dried blood spot cards which allow for easy transport and reliable reporting. Exclusive to NTD Labs, the IRA? Instant Risk Assessment Program permits real-time results reporting in combination with an ultrasound exam, leading to greater efficiency for physicians and patients by eliminating the need for additional office visits to report results.
For more information about PerkinElmer NTD Laboratories and its aneuploidy screening protocols, please visit www.ntdlabs.com.
About PerkinElmer, Inc.
PerkinElmer, Inc. is a global leader focused on improving the health and safety of people and the environment. The Company reported revenue of approximately $2 billion in 2008, has around 8,500 employees serving customers in more than 150 countries, and is a component of the S&P 500 Index. Additional information is available through www.perkinelmer.com or 1-877-PKI-NYSE.
