NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Physician's Choice Laboratory Services today said it has inked an exclusive option with the Johns Hopkins University for a test that evaluates a woman's risk for developing post-partum depression.
PCLS said it plans to assess the analytical capabilities and potential clinical commercialization of JHU's test called the DNA Methylation Biomarker of Post-Partum Depression Risk Test. The blood-based test detects epigenetic changes in pregnant women and can be used during any trimester, potentially offering a simple method to diagnose post-partum depression in the weeks after a woman has given birth. It would also facilitate treatment "before symptoms become debilitating," the company said.
Citing statistics from the US Department of Health and Human Services, PCLS said that an estimated 10 to 15 percent of all new mothers develop post-partum depression. Among women previously diagnosed with mood disorders, the rate rises to between 30 percent and 35 percent.
Financial and other terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Today's announcement comes one month after Rock Hill, SC-based PCLS, a specialty laboratory, said it acquired the assets of MultiGen Diagnostics.