Philadelphia, PA, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Beyond Celiac today announced their newest partner, imaware™. imaware™ is a unique at-home celiac disease screening and monitoring test that is highly accurate and provides actionable results for patients. Beyond Celiac is partnering with imaware™ to support the ambitious goal of dramatically reducing the number of individuals dealing with undiagnosed celiac disease by helping them more quickly take the steps needed for diagnosis.
“Celiac disease has long been plagued by low diagnosis rates. It is estimated that less than 20 percent of patients who have the condition know it,” noted Alice Bast, Beyond Celiac CEO. “We hear from our community that their doctors do not want to test them despite symptoms. The average delay in diagnosis is 6 to 10 years. It took me eight years to get diagnosed,” she added.
A study published recently in the United European Gastroenterology Journal concluded that patients whose diagnosis had been delayed for three years reported being sick more often, going to the doctor more frequently and using more drugs for indigestion and depression than those who were diagnosed more quickly.
“We believe that the imaware™ at-home celiac disease test will help reduce the number of undiagnosed people with celiac disease,” said Jani Tuomi, Chief Product Officer for imaware™. “An easy to use test, with easy to read results that are reviewed by a doctor, will dramatically reduce time to diagnosis. With a partner like Beyond Celiac, we will be able to better engage with the patient community to educate, screen, and ultimately help patients engage their doctors sooner for diagnosis.”
The imaware™ test measures the same antibodies to gluten as the tests that doctors use in their offices as the first step to diagnose celiac disease – anti-tissue transglutaminase (tTG) and deaminated gliadin peptide (DGP) tests. In the United States, definitive diagnosis of celiac disease requires a biopsy that shows intestinal damage in addition to the blood test.
Sold online only, the imaware™ test requires a finger prick and collection of a small amount of blood in a vial. Consumers then mail their sample back and receive their confidential test results via a secure portal in about a week. For results to be accurate, consumers need to be on a normal gluten-containing diet. The imaware™ at-home test for celiac disease is available at imaware.health for $165.00. Beyond Celiac will receive a portion of sales to support their ongoing initiatives to drive diagnosis, advance research and accelerate the discovery of new treatments and a cure.
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About Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is a serious, genetic, autoimmune disorder that affects an estimated 1 in 100 Americans, the vast majority of whom are still undiagnosed. The disease causes debilitating symptoms, and if left untreated, can lead to serious long-term health problems including infertility and some types of cancer.
About Beyond Celiac:
A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Beyond Celiac envisions a world in which people with celiac disease can live healthy lives free from social stigma and fear of gluten exposure – A world Beyond Celiac.
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