NTD Laboratories, Inc.
403 Oakwood Road
Huntington Station, NY 11746
Phone: 1.888.NTDLABS (683.5227)
ntdlabs@perkinelmer.com
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© Copyright
NTD Laboratories, Inc.
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NTD Laboratories was formed in 1983 by James N. Macri Ph.D. and is the premier provider of prenatal screening for Down Syndrome, Trisomy 18 and open neural tube defects. NTD Laboratories is a closely held corporation with operations in the United States and Italy and with additional collaborations in Canada, Portugal, France, Brazil and Mexico.
Prenatal screening services developed in our laboratories provided early and accurate detection of neural tube defects and chromosomal abnormalities. Initially, our screening methods could only be accurately offered in the second trimester of pregnancy. Our scientific mission focused on moving the screening window from the second trimester earlier and into the first trimester. While doing so, we found that our unique methods offered not only the earliest but the most accurate screening possible all while decreasing false positive rates.
Dr. Macri's research in the mid 1970s contributed to the discovery of alpha fetoprotein (AFP) as a marker for the detection of open neural tube defects. In 1983, he discovered that while elevated levels of maternal serum AFP were useful in detecting open neural tube defects, low levels were associated with Down Syndrome. This finding ushered in the era of maternal serum screening for Down Syndrome. While this proved to be a significant clinical and scientific breakthrough, detection capabilities were low and screening could only be performed in the second trimester.
NTD's unwavering commitment to research and development next led us to pioneer first trimester screening in 1997 for the early detection of Down Syndrome and Trisomy 18. Called Ultra-Screen®, this new first trimester procedure combines the measurement of free beta hCG (a patented process), PAPP-A and nuchal translucency(NT) to produce an accurate risk assesment for Down Syndrome and Trisomy 18 between 11 weeks 1 day and 13 weeks 6 days of gestation. For ease of administration and medical office implementation as well as enhanced sample stability and detection rates Ultra-Screen® is performed using our patented dried blood technology. A simple fingerstick allows clinicians to apply drops of blood to our unique sample filter paper collection device and this device may be safely shipped over long distances in extreme weather.
UltraScreen's detection efficiency of 87-91% with a false positive rate of 5% is supported by more than 70 prospective, published studies and two NICHD-BUN publications(N Engl J Med 349: 1471-1473, 2003, Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol., 2002). Our database currently includes over 110,000 prospective patients. We utilize the Fetal Medicine Foundation algorithm on Nuchal Traslucency and our proprietary software to obtain a combined risk result. To facilitate standardization of nuchal translucency measurements and support the educational requirements needed to perform first trimester screening, NTD Labs works closely with the Fetal Medicine Foundation of London in ongoing educational seminars throughout the United States.
NTD Laboratories is committed to making UltraScreen the standard of care for prenatal Down Syndrome screening in the United States. We are working closely with academic research institutions, hospitals and Insurance payors in an effort to make this test available to all pregnant women. NTD Laboratories prides itself as a scientific research laboratory and is committed to continuing its long and rich history of research and development.
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