TEMPE, Ariz., Nov. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Sonora Quest Laboratories, Arizona’s leading provider of diagnostic testing and information services, has announced a partnership with uMETHOD Health, a health technology company offering the first platform for Alzheimer’s disease based on advanced artificial intelligence technology. Through the partnership, healthcare providers will have access to the RestoreU METHOD via Sonora Quest for their patients experiencing memory loss. The platform includes lab tests and individualized care plans to assess and minimize risk of developing Alzheimer’s, and to help slow the progress of the disease in its early stages.

“Alzheimer’s disease is of great concern to many of the healthcare providers and patients we serve, and Sonora Quest is proud to be the first and only lab in Arizona to offer this service. We believe this partnership furthers our mission to offer innovative solutions that empower healthcare providers and patients with the necessary tools to improve outcomes,” said Christina Noble, chief growth officer at Sonora Quest Laboratories. 

Precision medicine is an emerging medical approach that takes into account individual variability in genes, environment and lifestyle. It moves beyond a one-size-fits-all approach, allowing doctors to understand with more accuracy the treatments and strategies that will work best for any given patient. As a result, demand for this approach is growing, as certain complex diseases are proving harder to manage using monotherapy approaches.

One such complex disease is Alzheimer’s. Every 65 seconds, someone in the United States develops Alzheimer’s. Nationwide deaths have increased by 123 percent, yet the disease has been notoriously difficult to treat; over 300 drugs have failed in the FDA process over the last 20 years. Most doctors agree — and multiple studies have demonstrated — that personalized multi-domain approaches work best.

“I have seen the impact of Alzheimer’s disease on the Arizona community first hand,” says Marwan Sabbagh, M.D., director of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, and a member of uMETHOD Health’s Scientific Advisory Board. “Research shows that multi-domain approaches to managing Alzheimer’s disease are an important first line of defense and they can be applied today.”

The RestoreU METHOD provides a personalized combination approach by employing artificial intelligence to interpret data from a patient’s bio-specimens, demographics, medical history, lifestyle and more. The technology matches the data against a vast body of scientific research on Alzheimer’s disease, resulting in individualized plans that help doctors manage or slow the progress of the disease.

“Four years of testing and refining uMETHOD’s technology has led to some very exciting clinical outcomes. As a result, this year has been focused on scaling our solutions to reach more people,” says Vik Chandra, uMETHOD cofounder and CEO. “What better way to achieve this goal than in partnership with the nation’s largest integrated laboratory system. We are thrilled to work with Sonora Quest, a company that shares our deep commitment to an approach that employs technological innovations to dramatically improve lives.”

“Data-driven personalized treatments are the future,” Noble adds. “At Sonora Quest, we intend to lead in the precision medicine space with a goal of continuing to bring new, innovative solutions to our communities.”

About Sonora Quest Laboratories
Sonora Quest Laboratories, a joint venture between Banner Health and Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX), is part of the nation’s largest integrated laboratory system with approximately 3,100 employees serving more than 23,000 patients every day throughout Arizona. Sonora Quest Laboratories is the market share leader in clinical laboratory testing in Arizona, performing more than 60 million diagnostic tests per year. Sonora Quest Laboratories offers a local comprehensive test menu which encompasses routine, molecular, prescription drug monitoring, genetic/genomic, women’s health and pathology testing services. Ninety-eight percent of all testing is performed at our primary testing facilities located in Tempe, Tucson, Flagstaff, Prescott and Yuma. Sonora Quest Laboratories is accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP) which is the gold standard in laboratory accreditation, helping laboratories to maintain accuracy of test results and ensure accurate patient diagnosis. This accreditation ensures the highest standard of care for all laboratory patients as CAP inspectors examine laboratory staff qualifications, equipment, facilities, safety program and records, and overall management. 

About uMETHOD Health
Seventy-five percent of adults over 65 have more than one chronic disease and consume 86% of healthcare spend in the United States. uMETHOD Health offers next-generation, precision medicine methodologies that empower physicians to better manage outcomes and costs of these complex chronic diseases through customized care.  For more information visit www.umethod.com.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Helen Bertelli
202-465-1468
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Lauren Strait
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SOURCE uMETHOD Health; Sonora Quest Laboratories