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Article published Jun 12, 2009 Molecular Pathology Laboratory Network Inc. to celebrate 20 years of success
From Staff Reports
Molecular Pathology Laboratory Network Inc. (MPLN) will celebrate 20 years of success in the health care and molecular diagnostics industry on July 1.
Driven by a commitment to improve patient care, Blount County native Dr. Roger Hubbard, founder, president and chief executive officer, started MPLN in Maryville on July 1, 1989.
Hubbard's dedication to provide the most advanced diagnostic tests to enhance health care services has propelled MPLN to expand from a startup company in a 400-square-foot space with one employee to a 27,000-square-foot facility and a diverse network of five laboratories with more than 130 employees in Tennessee and Virginia."My mission for MPLN was to make a difference in patient care by delivering the best technologies and services in laboratory medicine," said Hubbard.
MPLN is located at 250 E. Broadway Ave. and is the first announced anchor tenant for the Pellissippi Place technology park to be sited at Pellissippi Parkway and Old Knoxville Highway.
MLPN is one of the first molecular reference laboratories in the country and the first laboratory of its kind in Tennessee.
"We are continuously expanding our molecular and cytogenetic tests in oncology, medical genetics and infectious disease to remain at the forefront of laboratory medicine so we can provide the best services for physicians and their patients," said Hubbard.
Over the past 20 years, MPLN has consistently been one of the first laboratories in the country to offer the newest and most advanced diagnostic tests. The most recent tests on that milestone list are two new genetic tests that determine how some oncology and cardiology patients may respond to certain therapeutic drugs.New tests
Recent studies show that the KRAS gene in humans is mutated in approximately 35 to 45 percent of colorectal cancers, and that these mutations cause limited clinical response to anti-epidermal growth factor receptor therapies. The same studies show that the determination of KRAS mutation status in colorectal cancer patients can better define those individuals who will benefit from anti-EGFR prescription drugs such as Erbitux and Vectibix. The KRAS mutation analysis performed at MPLN detects 12 somatic mutations commonly found in the KRAS oncogene.
Another new test offered by MPLN is the Warfarin Sensitivity Test. Warfarin, also known as Coumadin, is the most commonly prescribed oral anticoagulant in North America and Europe. In the United States, approximately 2 million people initiate warfarin treatment annually, primarily to prevent or reduce the risk of a thrombotic event. Patients who are prescribed warfarin may benefit from the sensitivity test because it determines their possible response or sensitivity to the anticoagulant.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), one-third of patients metabolize warfarin more slowly, and therefore, experience a higher risk of bleeding. While some patient response variability can be caused by factors such as age, height, weight and the effects of drug interaction and initial treatment indications, there are genetic variations in at least two genes that account for a significant proportion of the remaining variability.
The Warfarin Sensitivity Test offered by MPLN assists physicians with prescribing the correct initial warfarin dose prior to initiation of therapy. This pharmacogenetic assay detects variations in the two most well-known genes, CYP2C9 and VKORC1, which cause approximately 40 percent of patient variability in warfarin dosing.
Implementation of the latest technologies such as KRAS and warfarin are just two examples of MPLN's rapid response to the changing landscape of the laboratory industry.