Exagen to Be Honored with National Research Innovation Award by Lupus Foundation of America

CEO Ron Rocca Will Be Recognized at LFA Annual Evening of Hope Gala in New York City


SAN DIEGO, Oct. 21, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Exagen Inc. (Nasdaq: XGN), an organization dedicated to transforming the care continuum for patients suffering from debilitating and chronic autoimmune diseases by enabling timely differential diagnosis and optimizing therapeutic intervention, today announced that the Lupus Foundation of America will be recognizing their CEO Ron Rocca at the upcoming Evening of Hope Gala October 28.

“We are humbled by this honor and grateful to the many internal and external clinical and scientific collaborators who contributed to the development of the AVISE® CTD panel,” said Ron Rocca, President and CEO of Exagen Inc. “We are closely aligned with the LFA in their mission to reduce the time to an accurate diagnosis of lupus, which is a key contributor to better control of the disease.  It is not acceptable that it takes an average of 6 years for an accurate diagnosis, or that lupus is the leading cause of death among women aged 15-24 with chronic inflammatory disease. Today we celebrate this recognition of our collective achievement, but tomorrow we are back to the tireless work to help solve the cruel mystery of lupus.”

“We are proud to honor Ron Rocca and the work of Exagen in their development of the AVISE CTD panel which can help doctors diagnose lupus,” shared Stevan W. Gibson, president and CEO, Lupus Foundation of America. “Reducing the time to diagnosis is an incredibly important part of our mission, and because of the work of Exagen under Mr. Rocca’s leadership, we are getting more people diagnosed and treated earlier, which is critical to preventing long-term consequences of the disease.”

Rheumatologists across the country are now using the patented AVISE CTD panel to quickly get the answers they need in determining if a patient has systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or one of the many other conditions that can mimic the disease. Once accurately diagnosed, lupus patients may benefit from the AVISE SLE Monitor panel, a blood test to help uncover disease progression, organ involvement, risk of thrombosis, as well as optimization of hydroxychloroquine, the most widely prescribed therapy for SLE. For more information on AVISE testing visit www.avisetest.com .

About Exagen Inc.

Exagen is dedicated to transforming the care continuum for patients suffering from debilitating and chronic autoimmune diseases by enabling timely differential diagnosis and optimizing therapeutic intervention. Exagen has developed and is commercializing a portfolio of innovative testing products under its AVISE brand, several of which are based on our proprietary Cell-Bound Complement Activation Products, or CB-CAPs, technology. Exagen’s goal is to enable rheumatologists to improve care for patients through the differential diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring of complex autoimmune and autoimmune-related diseases, including SLE and rheumatoid arthritis. Exagen’s laboratory testing facility is CAP accredited, CLIA certified.

Forward-Looking Statements

Exagen cautions you that statements in this press release that are not a description of historical facts are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on the Company's current beliefs and expectations. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: the results of these clinical utility studies validating the AVISE Lupus test and the potential to lead to increased adoption of the AVISE Lupus test; and the ability of the AVISE Lupus test to help physicians improve their ability to diagnose and manage patients suspected of an autoimmune disease and provide net savings to the healthcare system.  The inclusion of forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation by Exagen that any of its plans will be achieved. Actual results may differ from those set forth in this press release due to the risks and uncertainties inherent in Exagen’s business, including, without limitation: Exagen’s commercial success depends upon attaining and maintaining significant market acceptance of its testing products and promoted therapeutics among rheumatologists, patients, third-party payers and others in the medical community; if third-party payers do not provide coverage and adequate reimbursement for Exagen’s testing products, or they breach, rescind or modify their contracts or reimbursement policies or delay payments for its testing products or promoted therapeutics, or if Exagen or its partners are unable to successfully negotiate payer contracts, Exagen’s commercial success could be compromised; and other risks described in the Company’s prior press releases and in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 and any subsequent filings with the SEC. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, and we undertake no obligation to revise or update this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, which is made under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. 

CONTACTS:

Westwicke Partners
Mike Cavanaugh
Mike.Cavanaugh@westwicke.com
646.677.1838

Exagen Inc.
Brian McEvilly
bmcevilly@exagen.com
760.560.1506