UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
March 27, 2008
(Date of earliest event reported)
LABORATORY CORPORATION
OF
AMERICA HOLDINGS
| DELAWARE | 1-11353 | 13-3757370 | ||
| (State or other jurisdiction of Incorporation) |
(Commission File Number) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
| 358 SOUTH MAIN STREET, BURLINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA |
27215 | 336-229-1127 | ||
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) |
(Registrant's telephone number including area code) |
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
¨ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
¨ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
ITEM 7.01. Regulation FD Disclosure
On March 27, 2008, OncoMethylome Sciences (Euronext Brussels: ONCOB, Euronext Amsterdam: ONCOA) and Laboratory Corporation of America® Holdings (LabCorp®) (NYSE: LH) announced that OncoMethylome has granted LabCorp an exclusive license on certain IP technology to perform commercial MGMT methylation laboratory testing services in the United States and Canada subject to limited exceptions. LabCorp’s Esoterix Clinical Trials Services Division was also selected by OncoMethylome as one of its preferred sub-contractors of MGMT methylation testing services for clinical trials. Under the terms of the agreement, OncoMethylome qualifies for an upfront fee, milestone payments, and royalties from LabCorp. Other terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Exhibits
99.1 Press Release dated March 27, 2008
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (Registrant) |
||||
| Date: March 28, 2008 | By: | /s/Bradford T. Smith | ||
| Bradford T. Smith, Executive Vice President and Secretary |
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Exhibit 99.1
NEWS RELEASE
OncoMethylome
Sciences grants Commercial License to
LabCorp for MGMT Methylation Testing
Liege (Belgium) and Burlington, NC (US) – March 27, 2008 – OncoMethylome Sciences (Euronext Brussels: ONCOB, Euronext Amsterdam: ONCOA) and Laboratory Corporation of America® Holdings (LabCorp®) (NYSE: LH) today announced that OncoMethylome has granted LabCorp an exclusive license on certain IP technology to perform commercial MGMT methylation laboratory testing services in the United States and Canada subject to limited exceptions. LabCorp’s Esoterix Clinical Trials Services Division was also selected by OncoMethylome as one of its preferred sub-contractors of MGMT methylation testing services for clinical trials. Under the terms of the agreement, OncoMethylome qualifies for an upfront fee, milestone payments, and royalties from LabCorp. Other terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
MGMT methylation has been shown to be a common event in many cancers and predictive of response to some cancer therapies. For example, MGMT methylation status has been shown to be a promising potential predictor of response to alkylating agent-based chemotherapies used to treat patients with malignant brain tumors, and therefore is of interest to oncologists who treat such patients. LabCorp plans to determine MGMT methylation status using Methylation-Specific PCR technology licensed from OncoMethylome Sciences.
Because of the potential for broader applications of this oncology marker, the evaluation of MGMT methylation is being integrated into numerous international clinical trials for patients with brain cancer and other cancers. The trials are conducted by organizations such as the U.S.-based Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC).
“This test is aligned with our focus on companion diagnostics and we are excited by the potential of the MGMT methylation test to help oncologists provide better patient care and guide therapy decisions. Laboratory tests for gene methylation are an important and differentiating addition to our menu of oncology services and allow us to offer a more complete package of services to oncologists and their patients,” commented Dr. Myla-Lai-Goldman, Executive Vice President, Medical Director and Chief Scientific Officer for LabCorp.
“Licensing of our MGMT methylation technology to a major clinical laboratory, such as LabCorp, marks a significant milestone for OncoMethylome’s companion diagnostics program and the advancement of personalized medicine”, commented Herman Spolders, Chief Executive Officer of OncoMethylome. “We will continue to work with major pharmaceutical companies, oncology
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organizations and other stakeholders to identify and validate other methylation-based cancer biomarkers that can aid physicians in optimizing patient treatment and outcome.”
About Methylation and
Methylation Biomarkers
Methylation is a natural control
mechanism that regulates gene expression. Abnormal methylation of certain genes can
silence their expression and those changes may be associated with cancer development and
response to cancer therapy. Genes whose methylation is linked to cancer are often called
methylation biomarkers. Methylation biomarkers intended for use in companion diagnostics
are associated with response to cancer drug therapy. OncoMethylome owns proprietary
technology that is highly sensitive and capable of detecting methylation biomarkers, and
is also very suitable for testing these markers in a high-throughput manner on clinical
samples.
About OncoMethylome
Sciences
OncoMethylome Sciences (Euronext
Brussels: ONCOB; Euronext Amsterdam: ONCOA) is a molecular diagnostics company developing
gene methylation tests to assist physicians in effectively detecting and treating cancer.
Specifically, the company’s tests are designed to help the physician (i) accurately
detect cancer in early stages of cancer development, (ii) predict a patient’s
response to drug therapy, and (iii) predict the likelihood of cancer recurrence.
OncoMethylome boasts a broad product development pipeline consisting of ten products and a solid partnering record. The company collaborates with leading international molecular oncology research centers, such as The Johns Hopkins University, and has a number of commercial and collaborative partnerships with Veridex LLC, a Johnson & Johnson company, Schering-Plough Corp., GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, Abbott, Millipore Corporation’s BioScience Division, and EXACT Sciences Corp. OncoMethylome’s products are based on methylation technology invented by Johns Hopkins University (USA).
Established in January 2003, OncoMethylome has offices in Liege and Leuven (Belgium), in Durham, NC (USA), and in Amsterdam (the Netherlands).
About LabCorp®
Laboratory Corporation of
America® Holdings, a S&P 500 company, is a pioneer in commercializing
new diagnostic technologies and the first in its industry to embrace genomic testing. With
annual revenues of $4.1 billion in 2007, over 26,000 employees nationwide, and more than
220,000 clients, LabCorp offers clinical assays ranging from routine blood analyses to HIV
and genomic testing. LabCorp combines its expertise in innovative clinical testing
technology with its Centers of Excellence: The Center for Molecular Biology and Pathology,
National Genetics Institute, Inc., ViroMed Laboratories, Inc., The Center for Esoteric
Testing, DIANON Systems, Inc., US LABS, and Esoterix and its Colorado Coagulation,
Endocrine Sciences, and Cytometry Associates laboratories. LabCorp conducts clinical trial
testing through its Esoterix Clinical Trials Services division. LabCorp clients include
physicians, government agencies, managed care organizations, hospitals, clinical labs, and
pharmaceutical companies. To learn more about our organization, visit our Web site at:
www.labcorp.com.
Each of the above forward-looking statements is subject to change based on various important factors, including without limitation, competitive actions in the marketplace and adverse actions of governmental and other third-party payors. Actual results could differ materially from those suggested by these forward-looking statements. Further information on potential factors that
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could affect LabCorp’s financial results is included in the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007, and subsequent SEC filings.
For more information please contact:
At
OncoMethylome:
Lucija Turcinov
Tel. +32-479-801-902
Lucija.Turcinov@oncomethylome.com
www.oncomethylome.com
At
LabCorp:
Eric Lindblom
Tel. +1-336-436-6739
media@labcorp.com
www.labcorp.com
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