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WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Miraculins Inc.’s PreVu noninvasive skin cholesterol test is set to be rolled out to all London Drugs stores.
The company said Thursday that in the wake of successful pilots of the PreVu Point of Care (POC) Test at London Drugs outlets in Vancouver, British Columbia, and in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the test is being expanded to all of the chain’s 76 pharmacy locations in western Canada.
"I am pleased to confirm that we will be expanding our PreVu POC Test programming to all of our stores beginning in March 2013," John Tse, vice president of pharmacy at London Drugs, said in a statement.
"Based on a very successful pilot at our pharmacy locations in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, as well as in Winnipeg, and the positive response of the public and our pharmacy team, we see significant value in bringing the PreVu POC Test to customers throughout our entire network of stores to help them better understand their potential risk of coronary artery disease," Tse stated.
The PreVu test measures skin cholesterol, which Miraculins said is a key biomarker in assessing risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). The painless, in vitro diagnostic test — which involves no blood draw or needles and no overnight fasting — is conducted on the palm of the hand in less than five minutes. The results are available immediately, which Miraculins noted facilitates point-of-care consultation and discussion with patients about the next steps they can take to address their condition.
PreVu doesn’t diagnose the presence or absence of CAD but helps identify patients who may be at higher, hidden risk for the disease, the company added.
Pear Healthcare Solutions, a Toronto-based provider of health screening and education services to pharmacy retailers in Canada, is the exclusive distributor of the test to that market segment.
"The Canadian launch of PreVu through London Drugs has established the viability and potential of distributing this revolutionary new screening technology through a retail pharmacy platform," commented Paul Moreau, vice president of sales and marketing at Miraculins. "We have been diligent in advancing the business model for the pharmacy market given its enormous consumer reach, and these pilots have allowed us to further refine and prepare the model for duplication. The pioneering vision of London Drugs, further underscored by its decision to expand PreVu to all of its stores, signals the graduation of a test delivery system that can now be replicated in pharmacies across the country and internationally."
