Review of 725,000 prescription drug monitoring samples demonstrate older patient population — particularly “Boomers” — are at risk for Rx misuse, abuse and drug interactions

BALTIMORE, Md. – May 17 – Ameritox^SM, the nation’s leader in pain medication monitoring, announced today the presentation of a peer-reviewed scientific poster titled “Patterns of Drug Use in the Older Chronic Pain Population” at the American Pain Society Annual Meeting.  Ameritox researchers will share analysis from 725,679 urine drug monitoring samples from chronic pain patients aged 50 and older.  Data show almost one-third (31.8 percent) lacked the physician-prescribed pain medication in clinically sampled urine, and more than a quarter (28 percent) of patients’ samples contained a prescription drug not prescribed by the doctor ordering the monitoring test.

Although the common perception is that America’s prescription drug misuse concerns should focus on the young, data suggest that older pain patients have the same issues with potential non-adherence and medication misuse as the overall chronic-pain population. The Ameritox study suggests health professionals should put aside age as a predictive indicator in evaluating medication adherence. The study concludes that there is a significant potential for non-adherence in the older population.

“This study provides strong evidence that there are two major reasons to monitor medication use, using urine drug testing, in older patients with chronic pain. The first is that this population has a risk of medication misuse and illicit drug use that warrants attention,” said Dr. Harry Leider, Chief Medical Officer of Ameritox. “The second is that a powerful medication was found in one in four older patients — one that the doctor prescribing a pain medication was not aware of. This data provides a compelling rationale for routinely monitoring medication use in older patients on chronic opioids.”

An additional factor that drives a portion of medication misuse in older patients is the use of multiple medications, prescribed by different physicians, for multiple chronic conditions.  This places the older population at a higher risk for dangerous drug-drug interactions. In addition, older patients may not remember or keep track of all of their medications prescribed by various physicians. Common side effects and interactions that can occur as a result include: constipation, mental status changes, depression and falls. Drug monitoring can help provide physicians with a more complete picture of a patient’s medication use prior to a serious event occurring.

The “Patterns of Drug Use in the Older Chronic Pain Population” poster was co-authored by Lisa Burke, PhD, MBA, RN, and Monica Fay, PharmD, MBA, associate medical directors at Ameritox, who examined extensive data of urine drug monitoring results taken from patient samples of those 50 years and older and submitted for analysis to Ameritox from October 1, 2009 to September 30, 2011; a total of 725,679 samples.  Results of this testing revealed:

• 7.6% had an illicit drug detected (e.g., marijuana, cocaine metabolite, heroin metabolite or PCP)
• 28.1% had a non-prescribed drug detected (e.g., opiates, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, etc.)
• 31.8% did not have a prescribed drug detected (e.g., a prescribed pain medication)
• 45.9% of samples had no abnormality found.

These data are similar to findings of a 2009 study¹ of more than 900,000 samples taken from individuals across age groups.  Therefore, presenters suggest that “age may not be a predominate factor in the likelihood of misuse or abuse of drugs.”   Frequently, older patients are perceived as more adherent to their physicians’ prescribed drug regimen.  These large-scale urine drug test studies show that monitoring could aid significantly in helping physicians² identify clinical inconsistencies and should augment patient self-reporting³.

The American Pain Society andAmericanAcademyof Pain Medicine clinical recommendations support pain medication monitoring as a tool to help confirm whether patients adhere to their prescribed drug regimen.

“Older adults are the fastest growing subset of theU.S.population and one of the largest groups of chronic pain patients,” said Lisa Burke, PhD, MBA, RN, Ameritox.  “With physicians increasingly on the front lines of patient care and public safety, pain medication monitoring, through urine drug testing, is an important tool to help clinicians ensure their patients – regardless of their age – receive the best possible care and achieve relief from chronic pain.”

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration on Aging reports the older population — persons 65 years or older — numbered 39.6 million in 2009 (the latest year for which data are available). This age group then represented only 12.9% of theU.S.population, approximately one in every eight Americans. By 2030, there will be about 72.1 million older persons, more than twice their number in 2000.

About Ameritox

Ameritox is the nation’s leader in Pain Medication Monitoring Solutions®, offering specialized laboratory testing and reporting services. Ameritox’s expertise and innovative science provide physicians with insights and support to enhance and optimize the care of chronic pain patients. Ameritox offers the most thorough pain medication monitoring lab process – Rx Guardian^SM – with Rx Guardian CD^SM, the only pain medication monitoring process with a proprietary normalization algorithm and a reference database of pain patients clinically assessed for medication adherence. Patient results are compared against this database, helping physicians assess whether patients are taking their pain medications correctly. Monitoring through prescription drug testing helps physicians make more informed clinical decisions and manage the risks and complexities associated with prescribing pain medications. Ameritox is headquartered in Baltimore, Md. with laboratory facilities in Midland, Texas and Greensboro, N.C. Ameritox can be found online at www.ameritox.com, on Twitter@Ameritox, or on Facebook at facebook.com/ameritox.

© 2011 Ameritox Ltd. All rights reserved. AMERITOX, the AMERITOX logos, AMERITOX AUTOREMINDER, AMERITOX MEDICATION MONITORING SOLUTIONS, AMERITOX UNIVERSITY, PAIN MEDICATION MONITORING SOLUTIONS, POWERED BY YOUR NEED TO KNOW and PROTECT YOUR PATIENTS. PROTECT YOUR PRACTICE. RX GUARDIAN, RX GUARDIAN CD, and RX GUARDIAN AUTOREMINDER are trademarks of Ameritox.

BALTIMORE, Md.– May 2, 2012 – Ameritox^SM, the nation’s leader in Pain Medication Monitoring Solutions®, announced the official launch of its new Rx Guardian INSIGHT^SM Report, a tool developed by Ameritox to help clinicians quickly assess five critical dimensions of medication adherence in patients with moderate to severe chronic pain.

Chronic pain affects more than 50 million people in the United States.  Opioid therapy provides needed relief to many patients, yet these powerful medications can also be misused, abused or diverted from the patients who need them.  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reportedin November 2011 that prescription painkiller overdoses now kill more than 15,000 Americans every year and that 12 million people in theU.S.reported using these drugs for non-medical reasons. The CDC estimated that non-medical use of narcotics, such as Vicodin, OxyContin, Opana and methadone, cost health insurers as much as $72.5 billion each year.

“Physicians are on the front line of delivering quality care by effectively treating painand protecting society by identifying potential patterns of prescription drug misuse, abuseand diversion.–  and at Ameritox, we are committed to providing our physician partners with the most advanced clinical tools to support this critical mission,” said Dr. Harry Leider, Chief Medical Officer at Ameritox. “After listening carefully to physician feedback, we designed the Rx Guardian INSIGHT Report to provide accurate, easy-to-read test results that address the key clinical issues facing physicians with a focus on their top two concerns related to patients on opioid therapy – Is my patient taking any drug of abuse or any prescription medications that I don’t know about?  The new INSIGHT Report reflects our ongoing commitment to provide physicians with the advanced tools they need, both in our advanced laboratory services and innovative data analysis tools.”

Developed with substantive input from pain management physicians, the Rx Guardian INSIGHT Report provides a concise summary of the most important elements of a patient’s medication monitoring results. It also helps clinicians assess a patient’s medication adherence over time by showing a chronology of previous Rx Guardian CD^SM standard scores – a proprietary methodology offered only by Ameritox.

The Rx Guardian INSIGHT^SM Report adds context to results from the Ameritox Rx Guardian CD medication monitoring tool, which uses a dynamic database of more than 1,000 pain patients clinically assessed as adherent and a proprietary normalization algorithm to help physicians assess adherence.  The Rx Guardian INSIGHT Report’s five-element summary includes:

1. Drugs of Abuse, identifying recent illicit drug use;
2. Prescription Drugs or Metabolites Detected (but not listed on the lab requisition form), showing medications the physician may not have prescribed;
3. Medication Monitoring Results, showing if the patient has been recently taking the pain medications that are prescribed;
4. Rx Guardian CD℠ Results Standard Scores, comparing the patient’s adjusted urine drug levels to a dynamic reference database of patients clinically assessed as adherent; and
5. Rx Guardian CD℠ Historical Trend, tracking the patient’s Rx Guardian CD℠Standard Scores over time.

“The data we provide to clinicians is critical to the doctor/patient conversation around safe use of powerful medications,” said Leider. “The INSIGHT Report is an important and innovative new tool as it provides physicians with a simple and intuitivesummary of our test results — that they can then use to help reduce misuse, abuse and diversion of these painkillers while enhancing patient care and safety.”

About Ameritox

Ameritox is the nation’s leader in Pain Medication Monitoring Solutions®, offering specialized laboratory testing and reporting services. Ameritox’s expertise and innovative science provide physicians with insights and support to enhance and optimize the care of chronic pain patients. Ameritox offers the most thorough pain medication monitoring lab process – Rx Guardian^SM – with Rx Guardian CD^SM, the only pain medication monitoring process with a proprietary normalization algorithm and a reference database of pain patients clinically assessed for medication adherence. Patient results are compared against this database, helping physicians assess whether patients are taking their pain medications correctly. Monitoring through urine drug testing helps physicians make more informed clinical decisions and manage the risks and complexities associated with prescribing pain medications. Ameritox is headquartered in Baltimore, Md. with laboratory facilities in Midland, Texas and Greensboro, N.C. Ameritox can be found online at www.ameritox.com, on Twitter@Ameritox, on Facebook at facebook.com/ameritoxon YouTube at youtube.com/ameritoxor on LinkedIn through Ameritox’s company page.

© 2012 Ameritox Ltd. All rights reserved. AMERITOX, the AMERITOX logos, AMERITOX AUTOREMINDER, AMERITOX MEDICATION MONITORING SOLUTIONS, AMERITOX UNIVERSITY, PAIN MEDICATION MONITORING SOLUTIONS, POWERED BY YOUR NEED TO KNOW and PROTECT YOUR PATIENTS. PROTECT YOUR PRACTICE. RX GUARDIAN, RX GUARDIAN CD, and RX GUARDIAN AUTOREMINDER are trademarks of Ameritox.

“Millennium’s tactics in the marketplace are not acceptable,” said Ancelmo Lopes, chief executive officer, Ameritox.  “It is not our interest to mention other companies in public communications; however, we will not let these statements go unanswered when it comes to something as important as patient well-being.”

Governor Scott’s Official Signing Letter Cites Section 35 Concerns

Though Millennium Laboratories suggests that Governor Scott supports their company’s position specifically, House Bill 787 covers a wide array of health care facilities needs – not just how and where drug testing is conducted.  Examination of facts demonstrates Millennium Laboratories does not fully convey the Governor’s on-record concerns.  In an April 27, 2012 letter to Secretary Detzner, Governor Scott states:

“While I find most of the bill’s provisions very positive, I do have concerns about the language in Section 35 of the bill amending Section 483.245, Florida Statutes. It is critically important for the state to maintain a strict prohibition against unlawful commissions, bonuses, kickbacks, rebates or split fee arrangements. However, the current interpretation of the anti-kickback law as it relates to the use of trained specimen collectors and the lease of space in the physician offices merits further scrutiny.  To that end, I will direct the Secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration to work with representatives of the clinical lab industry to examine this issue and develop alternative approaches to regulating this particular area of health care law.”

Ameritox is encouraged by the Governor’s letter to Secretary Detzner and, as the national leader in medication monitoring, looks forward to the opportunity to work collaboratively with AHCA and other leading clinical laboratories on this issue crucial to patients suffering from chronic pain.

Full text of Governor Scott’s letter is available via this Florida state government link:  http://www.flgov.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/4.27.12-HB-787-Transmittal-Letter.pdf

Ameritox Plans Are OIG Reviewed

In the same April 30 Millennium Laboratories press release, Millennium Laboratories uses a veiled attempt to attack Ameritox, writing: “a Maryland-based clinical laboratory that agreed in November 2010 to a $16.3 million settlement.”  This statement disregards the historic timeline of events.

In reality, the current Ameritox management team was brought aboard post-2005 events to reach this 2010 Corporate Integrity Agreement between the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the US Department of Health and Human Services and Ameritox.  Today, under this Corporate Integrity Agreement, Ameritox customer relationship programs are examined by an internal compliance committee, independent external reviewer and the Federal government. Specifically, the Ameritox Specimen Processor customer program is the only one of its kind in the industry that has been reviewed by the OIG and that operates in consultation with the OIG.

Ameritox, as the national leader in pain medication monitoring, believes it is important to provide transparent exchange in both business practice and clinical science. Ameritox adheres to the highest standards in Federal and state policy.

About Ameritox

Ameritox is the nation’s leader in Pain Medication Monitoring Solutions®, offering specialized laboratory testing and reporting services. Ameritox’s expertise and innovative science provide physicians with insights and support to enhance and optimize the care of chronic pain patients. Ameritox offers the most thorough pain medication monitoring lab process – Rx Guardian(SM) –with Rx Guardian CD(SM), the only pain medication monitoring process with a proprietary normalization algorithm and a reference database of pain patients clinically assessed for medication adherence. Patient results are compared against this database, helping physicians assess whether patients are taking their pain medications correctly. Monitoring through urine drug testing helps physicians make more informed clinical decisions and manage the risks and complexities associated with prescribing pain medications. Ameritox is headquartered in Baltimore, Md. with laboratory facilities in Midland, Texas andGreensboro, N.C. Ameritox can be found online at www.ameritox.com, on Twitter @Ameritox, on Facebook atfacebook.com/ameritox on YouTube at youtube.com/ameritox or on LinkedIn through Ameritox’s company page.

© 2012 Ameritox Ltd. All rights reserved. AMERITOX, the AMERITOX logos, AMERITOX AUTOREMINDER, AMERITOX MEDICATION MONITORING SOLUTIONS, AMERITOX UNIVERSITY, PAIN MEDICATION MONITORING SOLUTIONS, POWERED BY YOUR NEED TO KNOW and PROTECT YOUR PATIENTS. PROTECT YOUR PRACTICE. RX GUARDIAN, RX GUARDIAN CD, and RX GUARDIAN AUTOREMINDER are trademarks of Ameritox.

“It is tremendously harmful to physicians, their patients and the industry when a laboratory’s business model, as alleged in this case against Millennium Laboratories, effectively flies in the face of ethical and legal business conduct and the healthcare provider’s decision-making process,” said Dr. Harry Leider, Chief Medical Officer at Ameritox. “These practices of providing financial incentives that mislead health professionals into believing that it is lawful for them to accept illegal inducements are a disservice to the public and the industry.  All companies must be held to the same high standards in providing patient-care services.”

Federal Anti-Kickback Statute and numerous state anti-kickback statutes, including those of Arizona, Florida, California, New Hampshire and Texas, prohibit companies from providing financial inducements to health providers in order to induce the referral of business. These laws prohibit direct payments to physicians as an inducement for the referral of business, and prohibit other forms of kickbacks, such as the provision of equipment, supplies, tests, services, and other benefits to the health care provider at no cost or at below fair market value, as alleged against Millennium Laboratories.

Ameritox, as the national leader in pain medication monitoring, believes it is important to provide a transparent exchange of business practices. The Company’s programs are subject to OIG verification and Ameritox adheres to the highest standards in Federal and state policy.

Reporters have online access to complete documentation for this case — Ameritox, LTD. V. Millennium Laboratories, Inc. in the UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT MIDDLE DISTRICT OF FLORIDA TAMPA DIVISION – via the public access service Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER).  Case number is 8:11-cv-00775-SCB-TBM.

About Ameritox

Ameritox is the nation’s leader in pain medication monitoring solutions, offering specialized laboratory testing and reporting services. Ameritox’s expertise and innovative science provide physicians with insights and support to enhance and optimize the care of chronic pain patients. Ameritox offers the most thorough pain medication monitoring lab process — Rx Guardian(SM) — with Rx Guardian CD(SM), the only pain medication monitoring solution with a proprietary normalization algorithm and a reference database of pain patients assessed for medication adherence. Patient results are compared against this database, helping physicians assess whether patients are taking their pain medications correctly. Medication monitoring through urine drug testing helps physicians make more informed clinical decisions and manage the risks and complexities associated with prescribing pain medications. Ameritox is headquartered in Baltimore, Md. with laboratory facilities in Midland, Texas andGreensboro, N.C. Ameritox can be found online at www.ameritox.com, on Twitter @Ameritox, on LinkedIn atlinkedin.com/company/ameritox or on Facebook at facebook.com/ameritox.

© 2012 Ameritox Ltd. All rights reserved. AMERITOX, the AMERITOX logos, AMERITOX AUTOREMINDER, AMERITOX MEDICATION MONITORING SOLUTIONS, AMERITOX UNIVERSITY, PAIN MEDICATION MONITORING SOLUTIONS, POWERED BY YOUR NEED TO KNOW and PROTECT YOUR PATIENTS. PROTECT YOUR PRACTICE. RX GUARDIAN, RX GUARDIAN CD, and RX GUARDIAN AUTOREMINDER are trademarks of Ameritox.

“As a leading statesman once said, you’re entitled to your own opinion – you’re not entitled to your own facts.  That our San Diego competitor seeks to reinvent history is inappropriate business behavior.  Customers rely on accurate and truthful information to make good decisions for patients and anything less is shameful,” said Ancelmo Lopes, chief executive, Ameritox. “We’re proud that Ameritox is the only pain medication monitoring company with a fully implemented, effective compliance program that meets all of the requirements of the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the US Department of Health and Human Services,” he added.

History of High Standards: Ameritox Plans Are OIG Reviewed

Ameritox works closely with independent and Federal agencies to review its customer support programs, in a review process that represents an industry best practice.  The current Ameritox management team was brought aboard post-2005 events, which led to a 2010 Corporate Integrity Agreement between the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the US Department of Health and Human Services and Ameritox.  Under the Corporate Integrity Agreement, customer relationship programs are examined by an internal compliance committee, independent external reviewer and the Federal government.  Specifically, the Ameritox Specimen Processor program is the only one of its kind in the industry that has been reviewed by the OIG and operates in consultation with the OIG.

No Free Goods Provided in Accordance to OIG Rules

Customers rely on their service providers to adhere to the highest standards.  Ameritox supports a Physician’s choice to use Point of Care Testing for their patients; however, Ameritox does not provide customers with free or discounted point-of-care (POC) drug-testing cups.  Providing gratis or reduced-cost POC cups for physicians to perform billable testing is a questionable practice that Ameritox believes is a violation of anti-kickback laws, therefore putting physician practices at risk.

Ethical Standards are for the Nation — Not State-by-State

Ameritox believes that ethics are concrete and not subject to local competitive whims.  Consistent with OIG customer relationship program review, our company will place onsite processors in physician offices to ensure accurate processing of pain medication monitoring paperwork where such processors are permitted. This OIG reviewed program supports ongoing delivery of monitoring in a market with an epidemic of opioid abuse.  The San Diego-based company hotly contends this practice in Florida should be stopped and is bolstering this position with PAC-fund support for legislators considering policies against this practice.  However, in as many as 15 other states the same company openly supports the very practice it claims to abhor, employing their own specimen processors yet not under OIG oversight.  At Ameritox, we believe in one set of values that must not be twisted for competitive advantage.  Physician information and patient care are our priorities.

No Need to Retest Negative Drug Samples

Retesting samples screened initially by a laboratory as negative enables companies to charge additional fees for unneeded services — the process neither advances patient care nor controls taxpayer costs.  Ameritox, unlike a San Diego company, does not recommend customers retest negative drug samples much less make it a standing practice to retest all negative drug samples.

“For clinicians treating the 50 million US chronic-pain sufferers, helping patients find safe, effective relief is the ultimate priority — and ensuring that medications are taken appropriately is a critical part of that mission,” said Harry Leider, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Ameritox.

Lobbying and PAC Funds

Ameritox invests in science that advances patient pain-medication monitoring and not in political campaigns. Ameritox believes that by advancing the science and providing clinical support for pain-medication studies, experts will be able to determine how and when to best use these tests to complement Federal government policies. That said, its San Diego competitor supports state-government legislative efforts and funds those opinions with PAC resources.  In Florida alone, where pending key legislation benefits that company, it has targeted $20,000 in contributions.

Ameritox, as the national leader in pain medication monitoring, believes it is important to provide transparent exchange whether business practice or clinical science. The Company’s client relationship programs are subject to independent audit and OIG review and Ameritox adheres to the highest standards in Federal and state policy.

About Ameritox

Ameritox is the nation’s leader in pain medication monitoring solutions, offering specialized laboratory testing and reporting services. Ameritox’s expertise and innovative science provide physicians with insights and support to enhance and optimize the care of chronic pain patients. Ameritox offers the most thorough pain medication monitoring lab process — Rx Guardian(SM) –with Rx Guardian CD(SM), the only pain medication monitoring solution with a proprietary normalization algorithm and a reference database of pain patients assessed for medication adherence. Patient results are compared against this database, helping physicians assess whether patients are taking their pain medications correctly. Medication monitoring through urine drug testing helps physicians make more informed clinical decisions and manage the risks and complexities associated with prescribing pain medications. Ameritox is headquartered in Baltimore, Md. with laboratory facilities in Midland, Texas andGreensboro, N.C. Ameritox can be found online at www.ameritox.com, on Twitter @Ameritox, or on Facebook at facebook.com/ameritox.

© 2012 Ameritox Ltd. All rights reserved. AMERITOX, the AMERITOX logos, AMERITOX AUTOREMINDER, AMERITOX MEDICATION MONITORING SOLUTIONS, AMERITOX UNIVERSITY, PAIN MEDICATION MONITORING SOLUTIONS, POWERED BY YOUR NEED TO KNOW and PROTECT YOUR PATIENTS. PROTECT YOUR PRACTICE. RX GUARDIAN, RX GUARDIAN CD, and RX GUARDIAN AUTOREMINDER are trademarks of Ameritox.

BALTIMORE, MD. (APRIL 6, 2012)—Ameritox^SM, the nation’s leader in pain medication monitoring, commends Unlawful Narcotics Investigations, Treatment and Education, Inc. (Operation UNITE), the organizers of the inaugural National Rx Drug Abuse Summit, on its coordination of a national forum to address the prescription drug abuse epidemic. The Summit will be held April 10-12 in Orlando, Florida.

“As the nation’s leader in Pain Medication Monitoring Solutions^®, Ameritox, like Operation UNITE, is committed to understanding the reasons behind the prescription drug abuse epidemic and working with state and Federal advocates toward a rapid and effective solution,” said Dr. Harry Leider, Chief Medical Officer, Ameritox. “In our industry leadership role, Ameritox is charged with providing physicians who prescribe opioid therapy with effective tools, supported by quality research, to help ensure that proper medications are getting to the millions of chronic pain patients who need it.  In this way, we support physicians who treat patients with chronic pain and their efforts to reduce the misuse, abuse and diversion of prescription opioid medication.”

Medication monitoring through urine drug testing is a critical tool in helping physicians provide the best care for patients receiving long term treatment with opioids. In February, Ameritox announced its support of a new set of expert consensus recommendations designed to bring uniformity to the use of pain medication monitoring and add specific recommendations to previous clinical guidelines. The recommendations also provided guidance on how to use urine drug monitoring to improve patient outcomes.

The leading service offered by Ameritox, Rx Guardian CD^SM, is a proprietary monitoring tool available to clinicians who prescribe opioids to patients with chronic pain aimed at helping to reduce the risk of opioid misuse, abuse and diversion. Rx Guardian CD consists of a reference database of more than 1,000 pain patients who were clinically assessed as adherent to their prescription regimens. It then displays the results in an innovative format, allowing physicians to see, at a glance, how a specific patient’s results compare to patients in the database.

Ameritox recently launched the Rx Guardian INSIGHT^SM Report, a tool developed with input from pain management physiciansand designed to provide a concise summary of the most important elements of a patient’s medication monitoring results. The report helps clinicians rapidly assess a patient’s medication monitoring results over time by showing a chronology of previous Rx Guardian CD results.

“The number one cause of accidental death in the country is drug overdose, and prescription drug overdoses account for a significant number of these avoidable tragedies,” Dr. Leider said. “The prescription drug abuse epidemic is the driving force behind the Ameritox commitment to work closely with physicians who prescribe these powerful medications. We recognize that physicians are on the front lines of treating pain and reducing prescription drug misuse, abuse and diversion.”

About Ameritox

Ameritox is the nation’s leader in Pain Medication Monitoring Solutions®, offering specialized laboratory testing and reporting services. Ameritox’s expertise and innovative science provide physicians with insights and support to enhance and optimize the care of chronic pain patients. Ameritox offers the most thorough pain medication monitoring lab process – Rx Guardian^SM – with Rx Guardian CD^SM, the only pain medication monitoring process with a proprietary normalization algorithm and a reference database of pain patients assessed for medication adherence. Patient results are compared against this database, helping physicians assess whether patients are taking their pain medications correctly. Monitoring through urine drug testing helps physicians make more informed clinical decisions and manage the risks and complexities associated with prescribing pain medications. Ameritox is headquartered in Baltimore, Md. with laboratory facilities in Midland, Texas and Greensboro, N.C. Ameritox can be found online at www.ameritox.com, on Twitter @Ameritox, or on Facebook at facebook.com/ameritox.

© 2012 Ameritox Ltd. All rights reserved. AMERITOX, the AMERITOX logos, AMERITOX AUTOREMINDER, AMERITOX MEDICATION MONITORING SOLUTIONS, AMERITOX UNIVERSITY, PAIN MEDICATION MONITORING SOLUTIONS, POWERED BY YOUR NEED TO KNOW and PROTECT YOUR PATIENTS. PROTECT YOUR PRACTICE. RX GUARDIAN, RX GUARDIAN CD, and RX GUARDIAN AUTOREMINDER are trademarks of Ameritox.

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Also, read the press release from Ameritox.com: Ridge Diagnostics, Inc. and Ameritox Ltd. Enter Into Licensing Agreement for Depression Biomarker Blood Test

Assay analyzing multiple biomarkers could be valuable aid to diagnosis, treatment monitoring

SAN DIEGO, CA, and BALTIMORE, MD, APRIL 5, 2012 – Ridge Diagnostics^TM, Inc., a neurodiagnostic company, announced today it has entered into an exclusive agreement with Ameritox^SM, Ltd., a leader in medication monitoring, for the license rights to its proprietary developmental blood test MDDScore^TM, a multiple biomarker analysis for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) for primary care and pain physicians.   As part of the agreement, Ameritox has agreed to make an undisclosed equity investment in Ridge and commit to a next-stage clinical development program.

Antidepressant drugs are among the most frequently prescribed medications in the U.S. today, where depression impacts some 19 million adults each year.  A biological test for depression may aid physicians in the differential diagnosis of MDD, assist in the selection of proper patient treatment and improve healthcare cost management.

“Ameritox investment in Ridge will likely accelerate the MDDScore test development and advance access to millions of patients already under the care of primary-care and pain-management physicians,” said Lonna J. Williams, CEO of Ridge Diagnostics.   “Ameritox longstanding investments in diagnostic science, and now in the Ridge technology, validate the importance of the MDDScore and demonstrate their commitment to improving patient well-being.”

The MDDScore test developed by Ridge Diagnostics measures ten biomarker levels associated with factors such as inflammation, development and maintenance of neurons and interaction between brain structures involved with stress response and other key biological functions.  Measurements are analyzed to produce an MDDScore which may help physicians determine whether a patient has major depression.

A recent peer-reviewed study with 70 adults who had been diagnosed with major depression evaluated in a pilot and replication study using the MDDScore appears in Molecular Psychiatry (February 2012) and indicates the test diagnosed major depression with a high degree of accuracy within the study population.  The study is co-authored by investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA; Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN; Cambridge Health Alliance, Boston, MA, and Elizabeth Medical Center, Brighton, MA.

“Biomarkers are an important emerging scientific tool to better understanding illness, and may enable health professionals to improve the accuracy of diagnosis and help match the right treatment to the right patient,” said Ancelmo Lopes, CEO, Ameritox Ltd. “Personalizing care offers the best use for precious healthcare resources.  We are committed to providing physicians with tools to support their care decisions.  We are excited to launch clinical trials to evaluate the utility of MDDScore in primary care and pain medicine settings.”

About Ameritox

Ameritox is the nation’s leader in Pain Medication Monitoring Solutions®, offering specialized laboratory testing and reporting services. Ameritox’s expertise and innovative science provide physicians with insights and support to enhance and optimize the care of chronic pain patients. Ameritox offers the most thorough pain medication monitoring lab process – Rx Guardian^SM – with Rx Guardian CD^SM, the only pain medication screening with a proprietary normalization algorithm and a reference database of pain patients assessed for medication adherence. Patient results are compared against this database, helping physicians assess whether patients are taking their pain medications correctly. Monitoring through urine drug testing helps physicians make more informed clinical decisions and manage the risks and complexities associated with prescribing pain medications. Ameritox is headquartered in Baltimore, Md. with laboratory facilities in Midland, Texas and Greensboro, N.C. Ameritox can be found online at www.ameritox.com, on Twitter @Ameritox, or on Facebook at facebook.com/ameritox.

© 2012 Ameritox Ltd. All rights reserved. AMERITOX, the AMERITOX logos, AMERITOX AUTOREMINDER, AMERITOX MEDICATION MONITORING SOLUTIONS, AMERITOX UNIVERSITY, PAIN MEDICATION MONITORING SOLUTIONS, POWERED BY YOUR NEED TO KNOW and PROTECT YOUR PATIENTS. PROTECT YOUR PRACTICE. RX GUARDIAN, RX GUARDIAN CD, and RX GUARDIAN AUTOREMINDER are trademarks of Ameritox.

About Ridge Diagnostics, Inc.

Ridge Diagnostics is a neurodiagnostic company developing and marketing blood-based tests to diagnose and monitor neuropsychiatric disorders.  The MDDScore™, the first-in-class, proprietary blood test for the diagnosis and treatment monitoring of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is available to psychiatrists.  Additional tests are in development for antidepressant response prediction and monitoring, adolescent depression and companion diagnostics. The portfolio of neurodiagnostic blood tests are based on a proprietary Human Biomarker Library and Hyper-Mapping™ technology.  Testing services are provided by Ridge Diagnostics CLIA laboratory. The company is located inSan Diego,CAandResearch Triangle Park,NC.  www.ridgedx.com.

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