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The Science Behind PreDx™ Testing

The development of diabetes is heterogeneous with complex biology underlying the disease process

  • Insulin resistance and dysfunction of pancreatic beta cells are central abnormalities of diabetes.
  • Insulin resistance is a disordered state in which insulin inadequately stimulates glucose transport in skeletal muscle and fat and inadequately suppresses hepatic glucose production.
  • Glucose intolerance and subsequent diabetes develop as the compensatory hypersecretion of insulin as beta cells decline.

The PreDx™ Diabetes Risk Test — how did we get here?

The Tethys process began with a comprehensive search of scientific and clinical literature in an effort to identify all biomarker candidates associated with disease development. The screened biomarkers covered many possible pathways associated with diabetes progression, and each biomarker was assessed for utility and relevance. The list of candidate biomarkers contained over 260 markers and assays were developed for over 89 markers.

Today, the PreDx Diabetes Risk Test utilizes diverse biomarkers related to inflammation, fat and carbohydrate metabolism, coagulation and cell death. It is able to assess changes related to multiple aspects of the disease process, not just glucose metabolism.

Each assay was validated and the performance characteristics were established by the Tethys Clinical Laboratory. Background information and confidence intervals are provided on each test report to the ordering physician.

Clinical Development of PreDx Risk Score using Population based Cohort
(Inter99)1-3

  • Retrospective baseline blood samples were tested from a large population of healthy subjects.
  • Using sensitive Molecular Counting Technology, which has the ability to detect a single molecule in an extremely small blood sample, 89 markers were quantified.
  • Over a 5-year period, 6% of subjects developed diabetes.
  • Based on blood markers initially present in the blood of those 6% subjects, Tethys narrowed their broad scope of 89 markers down to less than 20 markers with higher or lower levels common to those who had developed diabetes.
  • The small group of people identified as high risk by the biomarkers had a four times higher than average chance of developing diabetes within 5 years.
  • Conversely, based on their score, over half the subjects had a four times lower likelihood of developing diabetes in 5 years.
  • Of those who developed diabetes, 23% had normal blood glucose at the beginning of the study.


1. Population description: Jørgensen T, Borch-Johnsen K, Thomsen TF, Ibsen H, Glumer C, Pisinger C. A randomized non-pharmacological intervention study for prevention of ischaemic heart disease: baseline results Inter99. European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation 2003;10:377-386.

2. Kolberg J, Gerwien R, Moler E, Rowe M, Urdea M, McKenna M, Hansen T, Pedersen O, Jørgensen T. Training and validation of a multimarker algorithm for the prediction of Type 2 diabetes from a 5 yr prospective study of 6,784 Danish people (Inter99). American Diabetes Association 68th Scientific Sessions, 2008.

3. Data on file, Tethys Clinical Laboratory, Tethys Bioscience, Inc., 2008


  Go to PredictMyRisk.com predxdiabetes.com

For Medical Professionals

Recent news

Jul 22, 2010
Tethys Raises $33 Million
Tethys Bioscience, Inc., announced today that the company has recently raised $33 million, comprising $23 million of venture financing and a $10 million working capital loan.

Jul 14, 2010
Diabetes Risk, on a Scale of 1 to 10
A new test is transforming the way some doctors diagnose and treat their patients.
(Technology Review)

Jul 1, 2010
PreDx® featured on CBS Interactive's Smartplanet
CBS Interactive smartplanet video segment focuses on the impact of the PreDx® Diabetes Risk Score on the physician and patient.

Jun 24, 2010
Tethys Announces Issuance of Key Patent Relating to PreDx™ Diabetes Risk Score Test
United States Patent and Trademark Office grants patent to Tethys. The patent is directed to the company's groundbreaking PreDx™ Diabetes Risk Score (DRS) test and relates to proprietary methods for assessing the risk of developing a diabetic condition.

Nov 9, 2009
Tethys Bioscience Raises $25 Million in Series D Financing
The financing round is led by aeris Capital with George Rehm taking a seat on the Tethys board.

Oct 20, 2009
Gazing into the Future
(Journal of Life Sciences, Fall 2009)