Novel biomarker test predicts risk of disease progression in patients with Crohn's disease

Prometheus Laboratories Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical and diagnostic company, announced new findings supporting a novel, algorithm-based biomarker test that helps clinicians effectively predict the risk of developing aggressive disease in patients with Crohn's disease.

In an oral presentation yesterday at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) in New Orleans, Dr. Gary Lichtenstein, Professor of Medicine, Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, reported results from a cross-sectional study in which six serologic markers and three genetic mutation markers were analyzed to help identify patients who are at risk for a more severe course of disease over time.

"There is growing evidence that biomarkers may provide clinical insight in predicting the probability of progression to an aggressive disease behavior," said Dr. Lichtenstein. "This study shows that by combining serologic and genetic (serogenetic) markers with clinical parameters, disease severity can be accurately predicted in patients with Crohn's disease to help physicians stratify the risk of disease progression and manage patients more effectively."