Critical Diagnostics Becomes An Affiliated Member of The Healthcare Accreditation Colloquium

SAN DIEGO --(Business Wire)--

Critical Diagnostics, makers of the Presage® ST2 Assay, a novel biomarker for use in heart failure patient care, announced today that it has joined Healthcare Accreditation Colloquium, an organization of heart failure experts seeking to build the healthcare system of the future.

"The Colloquium's primary objective, to develop a cohesive and integrated approach for heart failure management, aligns perfectly with Critical Diagnostics' efforts to integrate ST2 in the continuum of care to improve patient outcomes," notes James Snider, President of Critical Diagnostics.

"We welcome Critical Diagnostics as a member," said Colloquium CEO, Tony Joseph, MD. "Application of the Presage ST2 Assay across the Colloquium's entire continuum of care model is likely to change how we all think about heart failure and improve the lives of our patients."

On January 30, 2013, the Colloquium will host a webinar, "Beyond The Natriuretic Peptides for Management of Heart Failure: An Expert Panel Review of a Novel Biomarker, ST2," featuring James Januzzi, M.D., of Massachusetts General Hospital, along with James Snider, Ph.D, President of Critical Diagnostics, and facilitated by Tony Joseph, M.D., of the Colloquium.

"Heart failure is a chronic progressive illnss that challenges the best clinician," begins the description of the webinar. "Disease progression is often masked by absence of observable clinical changes, while the neuro-hormonal abnormalities continue unabated. The natriuretic peptides have established a role in the diagnosis of heart failure, however, their ability to bridge the gap in prognosis has fallen short in the management of these patients. Novel cardiac biomarkers, like ST2, provide additional information that enables the delivery of focused care to those patients needing it most in a timely fashion, which has the potential to significantly improve outcomes."

Colloquium members have access to the webinar by invitation. Non-members can take part by contacting the Colloquium at colloquiumhealth.com/contact.

About ST2

Soluble ST2 has now been published in more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and scientific posters studying more than 35,000 patients. These clinical studies have demonstrated that high levels of soluble ST2 are predictive of adverse patient outcomes and death in a broad spectrum of cardiovascular disease. They have further shown that the prognostic information from soluble ST2 is independent of, and provides added information to, that of cardiac biomarkers commonly used today. The Presage ST2 Assay has been CE Marked and cleared by the US FDA.

About Critical Diagnostics

Critical Diagnostics (www.criticaldiagnostics.com) develops novel biomarkers to help physicians optimize patient care in cardiovascular diseases, while containing healthcare costs.

About Healthcare Accreditation Colloquium

The Healthcare Accreditation Colloquium is a hospital membership organization - a Colloquium - of Heart Failure Experts working together. The Colloquium's improvement methodology covers the entire continuum of care and leads to becoming a Colloquium Accredited Heart Failure Center or Institute - an important distinction for those seeking pre-eminence in their market.