Press Releases

October 23, 2009, Reno, Nevada

It is with great pleasure that Viral Immune Pathology Diagnostics (VIP Dx) announces the introduction of the diagnostic test for the Xenotropic Murine Leukemia Virus-related Virus - XMRV.

XMRV is a slow-growing, gammaretrovirus and replicates in dividing cells. Low-level infections are best detected in activated, dividing cells; to activate a virus requires cell culture. Productive infections are more easily detected without special treatment of the specimen.

Each XMRV specimen must have an XAND acceptance code on the test requisition. The XAND acceptance code is assigned by our staff and will arrive on the test requisition in your specimen kit. Specimens sent without the appropriate acceptance code may result in the delay or inability to perform the diagnostic test. The diagnostic test available for XAND* is as follows:

XAND - XMRV screen by PCR with virus culture confirmation: Test Code XAND ($650)

We are accepting XAND tests on Tuesdays and Fridays only due to the incubation period required for proper analysis. Therefore, you must have your blood drawn on Monday or Thursday and ship immediately back to us by priority overnight FedEx for receipt by us on Tuesday or Friday.

For XAND testing you must use the coded test requisition provided with your kit. Refer to the updated specimen guidelines in the right column of the test requisition for proper blood draw.

No special preparation is required for specimens; ship specimens at ambient (room) temperature. Specimens must be received within 24 hours for proper analysis. Collection and shipping instructions are included in each kit along with all required specimen tubes. The return clinical envelope and overnight airbill are also included.

To order you test kit, please e-mail your full name, address and telephone number to info@vipdx.com. There is a 4-6 week back order. Due to time and temperature changes that may render the sample unsuitable for analysis, VIP Dx is accepting only samples from the USA and Canada . We cannot accept frozen samples because it kills the virus and we cannot perform the confirmatory virus culture testing. VIP Dx is committed to having everyone in the USA and Canada tested who wants to be tested. Please accept our sincere apology for any delays. We thank you for your support and patience.

Please visit our website at www.vipdx.com for more information on VIP Dx and our tests.

Please visit Whittemore Peterson Institute for FAQ on the XMRV virus at www.wpinstitute.org.

On behalf of the VIP Dx team, we thank you for your continued support.

* The XAND tests were developed and their performance characteristics were determined and validated by VIP Dx. These tests have not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for diagnostic purposes. Medical expertise is required for XAND test interpretation.