WALTHAM, Mass., March 29, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Interleukin Genetics, Inc. (OTCQB:ILIU), a life sciences company focused on developing and marketing proprietary genetic tests for chronic diseases and health-related conditions, today announced Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval for a clinical study to assess the impact of the Company’s PerioPredict Genetic Risk Test on dental patient engagement for more preventive dental care. The study will build on Interleukin Genetics’ evidence base in support of the medical and economic value of the PerioPredict genetic testing platform.
PerioPredict identifies individuals at increased risk for severe periodontitis because they have a genetic tendency to over-produce chronic inflammation, an underlying root cause of many chronic diseases. Dental care and periodontal treatment and maintenance provides a practical access point to significantly lower the systemic inflammatory burden. The use of PerioPredict can help meet the need for improved surveillance and risk stratification of these individuals, enabling personalization of treatment plans and improved outcomes.
The clinical study will evaluate dental patients who routinely visit their dentist once per year by choice, despite having insurance coverage for twice-per-year visits, to ascertain how knowing their increased risk for developing severe periodontal disease due to genetic tendency to overproduce inflammation might impact the frequency of preventive care visits for these patients. The practice-based clinical study will enroll 800 subjects from 20 to 30 general dentistry clinics. The study is expected to launch on May 1, 2016.
“Given the role of inflammation in many chronic diseases, PerioPredict test results may serve as a powerful motivator for an individual to engage and take action to increase preventative dental care, which has been associated with substantial reduction in the cost of managing several chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease,” said Mark Carbeau, Chief Executive Officer of Interleukin Genetics. “We believe this study will provide further evidence in support of the clinical utility of PerioPredict, and are excited to be collaborating with such accomplished scientists from prominent, forward-thinking institutions in this effort.”
The study will be conducted by a team with broad expertise, including collaborators Geoffrey S. Ginsburg, M.D., Ph.D., a founding director of the Center for Applied Genomics & Precision Medicine and a professor of Medicine, Pathology and Biomedical Engineering, at Duke University, and Jeffrey L. Fellows, Ph.D., from The Center for Health Research, Kaiser Permanente – leading experts in the fields of genetic medicine and population health initiatives, respectively. Kenneth Kornman, D.D.S., Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Interleukin, will serve as Principal Investigator.
“This study will help us determine how dental professionals can use genetic risk information provided by PerioPredict to positively impact patient behavior and ultimately, improve patient wellness outcomes as well as reduce their healthcare costs,” said Dr. Kornman, Chief Scientific Officer of Interleukin Genetics. “Dental offices provide a potentially powerful access point to reduce systemic inflammation. Our goal is to provide dental offices with additional practical tools they can utilize to enhance health in their at-risk patients and to add value to the dental practice.”
Periodontal disease is one of the most common chronic inflammatory diseases in developed countries, and better control of the condition has been shown to significantly lower the systemic inflammatory burden.
