Dominion Diagnostics Chief Scientific Advisor Kenneth Blum, PhD Receives 2014 ASAM Medical-Scientific Program Committee Award for Best Scientific Abstract

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Apr 22, 2014, 09:01 ET

NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I., April 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Kenneth Blum, PhD, President and CEO of IGENE, LLC, has long been associated with leading drug monitoring laboratory Dominion Diagnostics in a scientific research and advisory role. Blum, who sits on Dominion's Addiction and Scientific Advisory Board, was recently appointed Chief Scientific Advisor to Dominion Diagnostics.

At the 2014 American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) Annual Medical-Scientific Conference in Orlando, FL, Blum was awarded the Medical-Scientific Program Committee Award for Best Scientific Abstract submitted on the topic of drug testing, medication management, or biomarkers. Blum's abstract "Clinical Integration of Innovative Genetic Risk/Medical Monitoring in Reward Deficiency Syndrome" was selected for the award by ASAM's Medical-Scientific Program Committee. The award was cosponsored by ASAM and Millennium Laboratories. Also acknowledged for their collaboration were David E. Smith, MD, John Femino, MD, and A. Kennison Roy lll, MD.

The abstract summarized new research related to both individual patient compliance to prescribed treatment medication and abstinence from non-prescribed substances (drugs of abuse) during treatment. Further, it provided insight into the development of innovative molecular tools that can identify and quantify biomarkers to assist in understanding reward deficiency syndrome (RDS) and an individual's genetic addiction risk score (GARS).

"The integration of GARS as a treatment tool will offer enormous clinical benefit, including the reduction of patient denial and guilt, the ability to counsel and stratify medication response by genotype, opportunities to reduce harm, and a better understanding of polymorphic reward deficiencies and their effect on treatment," Dr. Blum shared and included in the abstract. "Used hand in hand with objective diagnostics like urine drug testing, GARS will provide new information that will result in more positive clinical interactions and improved treatment outcomes."

In March 2014, Dominion Diagnostics signed an exclusive agreement to co-develop and market Genetic Addiction Risk Score (GARS) testing with IGENE, LLC.

"Dominion has been providing customized laboratory services to the Addiction field for the past 16 years. We are confident that by offering the Genetic Addiction Risk Score (GARS) to clinicians we are providing them with the tools needed to effectively prescribe, assess and treat patients," says Mary Hauser, Dominion's Vice President of Addiction Services and New Market Development. "Dr. Blum's expertise has been crucial in our ability to develop this test."

ABOUT IGENE, LLC
IGENE, LLC is a Wyoming-based limited liability company owned by Kenneth Blum, PhD that received the exclusive license from Synaptamine, Inc. (100% owned by Dr. Blum). Blum received the first nutrigenomic patent in 2005 covering the GARS test and has numerous U.S. and foreign patents pending and issued on genetic testing of Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS).

ABOUT DOMINION DIAGNOSTICS
Dominion Diagnostics is a leading national laboratory that offers clinical drug testing, prescription monitoring services, and a full suite of clinical support solutions. Since 1997, Dominion Diagnostics has provided services to clients representing a diversity of medical specialties across the United States, including addiction medicine, behavioral health, pain medicine, primary care, psychiatry, and hospital systems. Dominion Diagnostics is supported by a world-class team that shares a commitment to clinical excellence, compliance, and integrity. For more information, please visit www.dominiondiagnostics.com.

For Media Relations, contact: Julie K. Lenahan, MBA, Director of Marketing, Dominion Diagnostics, (401) 667-0876, [email protected]

SOURCE Dominion Diagnostics