Business Wire - January 22, 2001

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) will begin providing state-of-the-art genotypic testing for low-income county residents infected with HIV through a unique public-private collaboration with Visible Genetics Inc. (Nasdaq:VGIN) (VGI), and the state of California.

The program is specifically designed for the 28 county-funded health care providers that directly manage the more than 25,000 patients on antiretroviral HIV therapies within the county.

Under the direction of DHS' Office of AIDS Programs and Policy (OAPP), VGI will provide a test to sequence the genes of the AIDS virus to help determine which drugs will be most effective for the individual patient. The genotype testing will take place in the department's public health laboratories. Funding for the tests will be provided through the State Office of AIDS Viral Resistance Voucher Program.

VGI will be providing services to county health facilities as part of its Vigilance II study, a prospective open-label trail conducted in the United States under VGI's Investigational Devise Exemption.

"This collaboration allows us to provide state-of-the-art care to patients in our system regardless of their ability to pay," said Jonathan E. Fielding, M.D., M.P.H., director of Public Health and Health Officer for DHS. "Funding from the state of California is critical to its success."

The TRUGENE(TM) HIV-1 Genotyping Test is used in numerous local research laboratories, such as the University of California at Los Angeles, the University of California at San Diego, the University of Southern California, and the Veterans Administration.

The program was announced during a breakfast symposium for Los Angeles County's HIV public health care providers. "We're extremely pleased to be partnering with Los Angeles County and provide our TRUGENE(TM) technology to their network of medical clinics through our Vigilance II study," said Richard T. Daly, president and CEO of Visible Genetics. "Working with Los Angeles County's Department of Health Services is a great example of a public-private initiative which will truly benefit thousands of HIV patients."

In addition to providing patients with greater access to resistance testing, the program provides a significant opportunity to study and enhance knowledge of the local HIV epidemic. A countywide database from resistance testing at public health medical clinics will be developed, representing demographic, geographic and specific viral resistance patterns.

"This information will greatly enhance understanding of the complex HIV viral resistance mutations occurring within Los Angeles County and help determine treatment strategies that could be most effective for any individual with HIV," said Charles L. Henry, director of the Los Angeles County Office of AIDS Programs and Policy. "The ability to test HIV for resistance to drug therapies is every bit as significant as the actual development of antiretroviral therapy and protease inhibitors."

Visible Genetics' TRUGENE(TM)HIV-1 Genotyping Test and OpenGene(TM)System is currently under review at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Other California Drug Resistence Testing Initiatives

Today's announcement follows closely on the heels of two other recent drug resistance testing initiatives instituted in the state of California. In late September 2000, the State of California Department of Health's Medi-Cal Benefits Branch began a policy to cover and reimburse HIV drug resistance testing, including Visible Genetics' technology. The State of California Childrens' Service is also providing drug resistance testing for children under the age of 21.

--30--RJ/la*

CONTACT: L.A. County Office of AIDS Programs and Policy Gunther Freehill, 213/351-8340 gfreehill@dhs.co.la.ca.us
010122
BW010103

Copyright © 2001 - Business Wire. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Business Wire, Permissions Desk, Business Wire, 1185 Avenue of the Americas, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10036; Tel: (212) 575-8822; FAX: (212) 575-1854. http://www.businesswire.com.

AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, Elton John AIDS Foundation, iMetrikus, Inc., John M. Lloyd Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2001. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 2001. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .