OPKO’s GeneDx Founders to Be Honored by Foundation for Ichthyosis and Related Skin Types (FIRST) for Their Contribution to Rare Disorder Research and Diagnosis
Miami, FL (PRWEB) March 04, 2016 -- OPKO Health, Inc. announced today that the founders of its GeneDx subsidiary, John Compton, PhD, and Sherri Bale, PhD, together with the GeneDx Chief Medical Officer, Gabriele Richard, MD, will be honored at a testimonial dinner in conjunction with the American Academy of Dermatology meeting in Washington, DC. on March 4, 2016. The Foundation for Ichthyosis and Related Skin Types, which was founded 35 years ago to support the needs of patients and families with rare inherited skin diseases, have cited Drs. Compton, Bale, and Richard for their 30 years of work to identify the genetic basis of these disorders, both at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and, subsequently, at GeneDx, a diagnostic sequencing laboratory which they founded in 2000.
Dr. Bale noted, “Dr. Compton and I left the NIH to start GeneDx so that the fruits of our research efforts could be used to directly benefit patients by providing clinical diagnostic, carrier, and prenatal testing for families with ichthyosis and other rare skin disorders. This was something that could not be done in a Federal facility at that time”.
Dr. Phil Frost, the CEO and Chairman of OPKO Health, Inc. is himself an NIH-trained dermatologist, and received this honor from FIRST in 2010, when he and Dr. Gerald Weinstein were honored for their early research on epidermal biology which laid the building blocks for others to make major advances in the study of the ichthyoses. Dr. Frost stated, “I am proud that GeneDx is part of the OPKO family, and that we continue to support and serve the rare skin disease community.”
About OPKO Health, Inc.
OPKO Health, Inc. 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 420-person sales force 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™, a treatment for SHPT in stage 3-4 CKD patients with vitamin D insufficiency (March 29, 2016 PDUFA date) and VARUBI™ for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (oral formulation launched by partner Tesaro, IV formulation in Phase 3). Our biologics business includes hGH-CTP, a once-weekly human growth hormone injection (in Phase 3 and partnered with Pfizer), and a long-acting Factor VIIa drug for hemophilia (entering Phase 2a). We also have production and distribution assets worldwide, multiple strategic investments and an active business development strategy. More information is available at http://www.opko.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. GeneDx provides testing to patients and their families in more than 55 countries. To learn more about GeneDx's complete list of testing options, please visit http://www.genedx.com or email genedx(at)genedx(dot)com.
Sid Dinsay, MWW, +1 917-370-8631, [email protected]
Share this article