The days of one-size-fits-all medicine are numbered. Instead of assuming everyone with the same condition needs the same medications and the same dosages, care providers are transitioning to “precision medicine,” where medications, dosages and even exercise and nutrition are guided by a patient’s genetic makeup.
To witness the evolution of genetic testing from pure research to clinical practicality, one has to look no further than 1st Street in Vancouver, where you’ll find Molecular Testing Labs. Founded in 2012 by Vancouver resident Adam Blackwell (currently serving as head of R&D), along with three partners, Molecular Testing Labs (MTL) has grown from three employees to 144 in just four years.
Blackwell is no stranger to business management and entrepreneurship. After serving 10 years in the Navy, he worked numerous years in the semiconductor and solar power industries, and started several direct access laboratory testing collection centers and wellness centers in the Pacific Northwest. After a personal experience with personalized medicine, he realized that this was the future of healthcare and wanted to be a part of it.
MTL offers a variety of tests that can help patients work with their caregivers to make smart, informed decisions about their personal health. Examples include drug interaction tests, tests to determine how fast your body metabolizes certain drugs, tests for specific genetic mutations that put you at risk for blood clots, tests to see if you are a carrier for a disease such as cystic fibrosis, tests for sexually transmitted diseases and even tests that help you understand how your body metabolizes food and reacts to exercise.
Blackwell said his firm is “constantly developing new tests and improving to provide better solutions for doctors and patients.” He added that the firm is one of only two labs in the country to be selected last year to partner with the National Blue Cross organization to evaluate the value of genetic testing.
Four years ago, MTL was located on Andresen Rd. in a 1,000-square-foot facility. The demand for genetic tests continued to climb, and within a year of startup, the firm expanded to a 7,000-sf facility. Two years ago they acquired their current 35,000-sf complex. And, said Blackwell, they are “busting at the seams again” and may have to look at a new building next year.
“Lots of people are prescribed multiple medications, and they may not be appropriate for that person’s genetic makeup (and may interact with each other),” said Blackwell.
He shared a recent story that illustrates how MTL can change lives. A local woman had surgery and was on multiple post-surgery medications, but they weren’t helping with the pain. She was steadily declining and felt like no one was believing her. After several months, she underwent toxicology testing at MTL, which determined that two of her medications were not being metabolized and were creating toxic buildup in her liver. Her doctor discontinued those drugs and put her on a single, different drug. Within a week she was feeling better.
“She called us,” said Blackwell, “and told us ‘I have a life again, I have hope’ – those are the kinds of changes that keep us searching for new and better tests.”
Blackwell attributes his firm’s stellar growth to Molecular Testing Labs’ quality of tests, an ability to produce results much faster than the competition and responsiveness to patients and their caregivers. The firm is accredited/approved by major compliance organizations such as the College of American Pathologists and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA).
Blackwell has leveraged his manufacturing background to increase the firm’s expediency. For example, results from a traditional cancer biopsy can take three to four weeks. MTL is on the cusp of releasing a test that can produce the same results in three to seven days.
“That is a differentiator for us,” said Blackwell.
Careful workforce and supply chain management is part of the reason they can “go fast.” Blackwell said that staff are cross-trained to do multiple tasks, so there is no idle time. Blackwell contracts with two vendors for everything the firm uses. That way, one vendor cannot get the company “over a barrel” or negatively affect production.
“We have dual choice for everything,” said Blackwell. “We never get to a point where we can’t make progress due to supply chain problems.”
The company has also chosen to create, from scratch, its own laboratory information system (LIS). While off-the-shelf LIS products are available, Blackwell didn’t view them as flexible enough – the reports they generate are often “canned” and cannot be modified without weeks of effort. In contrast, Blackwell said his firm can tailor a report for a doctor’s needs “almost immediately.”
While business is booming, Blackwell said there are ongoing challenges. One of those is finding local talent. Another is getting insurance companies (and state legislatures) to recognize the validity of the science and the value of genetic testing. Although it is covered by some insurance companies, Blackwell stated that many get “wrapped around” cost (which ranges from $200 to about $1,000 per test) instead of realizing it may save money in the long term. For example, using genetic test results, a doctor may be able to fine-tune a patient’s treatment by reducing an average of seven medications – some of which may be doing the patient no good at all – to two or three medications that are efficacious.
“It seems logical to me that our own in-state providers would support us,” said Blackwell, “but Premera/Blue Cross refuses to even have a dialog with us.”
To offset fluctuating insurance reimbursements, MTL is exploring additional revenue streams. For example, the firm has contracts with pain management centers and assisted living centers for toxicology tests. As sad as it may seem, sometimes health workers hijack pain medications and sell them instead of administering them to patients. Using DNA testing and urine screening, MTL can confirm that patients are getting the medicines they need.
Also, said Blackwell, “our dynamic, versatile testing menu and elaborate equipment set are a good match for clinical trials,” said Blackwell. “We have had great success winning clinical trial contracts.”
Blackwell has lofty plans for MTL.
“We are going to be a market leader in the genetic space,” he said.
He plans to accomplish that goal by continuing to develop new, unique tests and aggressively pursuing FDA approval. He recently hired a full-time business development person to focus on capturing more of the “backyard market” and boost local recognition of the firm’s services.
“We’re just now at the point where we’re hiring a sales force,” said Blackwell. “The buzz about personalized medicine is starting to take off, and we intend to continue our growth.”
Molecular Testing Labs
14401 S.E. First St., Vancouver www.moleculartestinglabs.com Founded 2012 144 employees
