OPKO’s GeneDx to Showcase Leadership in Genetic Testing at the National Society of Genetic Counselors and the American Society of Human Genetics Annual Meetings

Demonstrates Commitment to Scientific and Clinical Advancement with More Than 35 Poster and Podium Presentations


MIAMI, Sept. 12, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OPKO Health, Inc. (NASDAQ:OPK) (“OPKO” or “the Company”) announces that GeneDx will be showcasing its leadership in genetic and genomic testing with more than 35 poster and platform presentations at the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) and the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) annual meetings this fall.

At the 36th Annual National Society of Genetic Counselors Meeting taking place September 13-16 in Columbus, Ohio, GeneDx will be presenting original scientific work and participating in ancillary educational sessions. GeneDx has been selected by NSGC to present data in three platform and 19 poster presentations. In addition, GeneDx will be participating in two pre-conference symposia and will be sponsoring an educational lunch session where GeneDx experts will discuss how techniques such as next-generation sequencing can be optimally leveraged as an important tool in genetic variant detection and analysis.  A complete listing of GeneDx’s events at NSGC 2017 are available here, or if attending, at booth #314.

At the American Society of Human Genetics Annual Meeting taking place October 17-21 in Orlando, GeneDx will present research in one podium and twenty poster presentations.  GeneDx is also a collaborator on six additional presentations. A complete listing of GeneDx’s events at ASHG 2017 will be available on our website, or if attending, at booth #654.

“GeneDx continues to demonstrate active engagement with the clinical and scientific community in all aspects of genetic and genomic testing, and we are excited to have been selected to share our robust data and research with the larger genetics community,” said Ben Solomon, MD, FACMG, Managing Director of GeneDx. “Our prominent presence at the NSGC and ASHG meetings this fall underscores the passion our entire team has for contributing to and advancing the field of genomic medicine.”

In addition to participating in this year’s premier fall genetics conferences, GeneDx is also excited to announce the increased flexibility of its sample collection. GeneDx will now offer the option of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared buccal (cheek swab) sample collection kit, which is available for GeneDx’s expansive test menu and patients of any age.

“We are always looking at ways to make providers’ jobs easier, and we will continue to invest in efforts that will help us meet this goal,” said Sean Hofherr, PhD, FACMG, Chief Scientific Officer at GeneDx.

To learn more about these new test kits or to receive kits in your office, please contact a local GeneDx genetic testing representative or visit the GeneDx website at www.genedx.com.

About GeneDx
GeneDx is a world leader in genomics with an acknowledged expertise in rare and ultra-rare genetic disorders, as well as one of the broadest menus of sequencing services available among commercial laboratories. Providing testing to patients and their families in more than 55 countries, GeneDx is a business unit of BioReference Laboratories, a wholly owned subsidiary of OPKO Health, Inc. To learn more, please visit www.genedx.com.

To learn more about GeneDx’s complete list of testing offerings, please visit www.genedx.com or email zebras@genedx.com. Follow along on Twitter at @GeneDx and become a Facebook fan at @GeneDxLab to get real-time updates!

About OPKO Health
OPKO Health is a diversified healthcare company that seeks to establish industry leading positions in large, rapidly growing markets. Our diagnostics business includes Bio-Reference Laboratories, the nation's third-largest clinical laboratory with a core genetic testing business and a 400-person sales and marketing team to drive growth and leverage new products, including the 4Kscore® prostate cancer test and the Claros® 1 in-office immunoassay platform. Our pharmaceutical business features RAYALDEE, an FDA-approved treatment for SHPT in stage 3-4 CKD patients with vitamin D insufficiency (launched in November 2016), VARUBI™ for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (oral formulation launched by partner TESARO and IV formulation pending FDA approval), OPK88003, a once or twice weekly oxyntomodulin for type 2 diabetes and obesity which is a clinically advanced drug candidate among the new class of GLP-1 glucagon receptor dual agonists, OPK88004, a SARM (Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator) for treating BPH (Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy), OPK88002, a NK-1 antagonist to treat pruritus ( itching) in dialysis patients, and OPK88001, a proprietary oligonucleotide to treat Dravet syndrome. In addition, the Company is advancing its CTP technology, which includes long acting hGH-CTP, a once weekly human growth hormone injection (in phase 3 and partnered with Pfizer), and long acting Factor VIIa drug for hemophilia in phase 2a.  OPKO also has production and distribution assets worldwide, multiple strategic investments and an active business development strategy. More information available at www.opko.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements," as that term is defined under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA), which statements may be identified by words such as "expects," "plans," "projects," "will," "may," "anticipates," "believes," "should," "intends," "estimates," and other words of similar meaning, including statements regarding expected developments in our genetic testing, financial performance, and the market for and sales of our products, our product development efforts and the expected benefits of our products, as well as other non-historical statements about our expectations, beliefs or intentions regarding our business, technologies and products, financial condition, strategies or prospects. Many factors could cause our actual activities or results to differ materially from the activities and results anticipated in forward-looking statements. These factors include those described in our Annual Reports on Form 10-K filed and to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, forward-looking statements may also be adversely affected by general market factors, competitive product development, product availability, federal and state regulations and legislation, the regulatory process for new products and indications, manufacturing issues that may arise, patent positions and litigation, among other factors. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date the statements were made, and we do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements. We intend that all forward-looking statements be subject to the safe-harbor provisions of the PSLRA. 

Company
OPKO Health, Inc.
David Malina, 305-575-4100
Investor Relations
dmalina@opko.com


GeneDx
Justin Leighton, MS, CGC
Clinical Marketing Manager, 301-519-2100 x8141
jleighton@genedx.com

LHA
Anne Marie Fields, 212-838-3777
afields@lhai.com
or
Bruce Voss, 310-691-7100
bvoss@lhai.com