SALT LAKE CITY, May 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sera Prognostics, Inc., a women’s healthcare company, announced today that Nadia F. Altomare has joined the company as chief commercial officer. Ms. Altomare will lead all commercial activities for Sera as the company makes its groundbreaking PreTRM® test available to physicians and patients. The PreTRM test is the first and only broadly clinically-validated blood test that provides an early and individualized prediction of preterm birth risk.
“We are very excited to have Nadia join Sera’s executive team. Nadia has deep and broad experience in leading life sciences companies to successfully launch and establish market-leading positions. She will help us to grow our company as we commercialize the PreTRM test to address the enormous challenges of prematurity,” said Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D., M.S., chairman and chief executive officer of Sera Prognostics. “Nadia will play a key role for Sera as we execute on our vision to improve the health of women and newborns worldwide.”
Ms. Altomare has more than 20 years of women’s healthcare experience and an extensive knowledge in developing and implementing strategic plans to drive commercial growth in the life sciences, biotechnology, and diagnostic industries. Ms. Altomare has held senior management positions in single and multi-product/service environments spanning from entrepreneurial to Fortune 500 companies.
Most recently, Ms. Altomare served as chief executive officer of an early detection of cancer diagnostics company, Abcodia Limited, where she shaped the global commercial, regulatory and fundraising strategies for the business. Prior to that, Ms. Altomare served as vice president and general manager of the DNA analysis business at ThermoFisher Scientific (formerly Life Technologies). Ms. Altomare also held leadership roles at PerkinElmer from 2007-2012, serving as the vice president & general manager of the cytogenetic DNA testing business where she right-sized the business while increasing productivity and as vice president of commercial operations, where she integrated the ViaCord acquisition into the broader diagnostic unit.
“I am delighted to join Sera at such an exciting time in its development,” stated Altomare. “I look forward to leading our commercial expansion strategy and to working closely with our partners, clinicians, patients, societies, and key opinion leaders to decrease the frequency and severity of preterm birth, advocating for the implementation over time of a new standard to detect premature birth early.”
About Preterm Birth
According to the March of Dimes, globally preterm birth affects 15 million infants each year, with 1 million deaths occurring from prematurity. Of nearly 4 million babies born annually in the U.S., approximately one in ten is born prematurely. Preterm birth is defined as any birth before 37 weeks gestation, and is the leading cause of illness and death in newborns. Prematurity is associated with a significantly increased risk of major long-term medical complications, including learning disabilities, cerebral palsy, chronic respiratory illness, intellectual disability, seizures, and vision and hearing loss, and can generate significant costs throughout the lives of affected children.
About the PreTRM® Test
The PreTRM® test is the first and only broadly clinically-validated blood test that provides an early and individual risk prediction for spontaneous preterm birth in asymptomatic, singleton pregnancies. The PreTRM test measures and analyzes proteins in the blood that are highly predictive of preterm birth. The PreTRM test can help physicians identify early in the pregnancy (as early as 19 weeks of gestation) which women are at increased risk for premature delivery, enabling more informed clinical decisions based on each woman’s individual risk. The PreTRM test enables researchers to better understand the causes of preterm birth and to develop new therapies to improve newborn health.
The PreTRM test is ordered by a medical professional.
For more information about the PreTRM test, please visit www.PreTRM.com and the PreTRM test YouTube Channel. You can also join the conversation on Facebook and @PreTRM.
About Sera Prognostics, Inc.
Sera Prognostics, a women’s health company, develops innovative diagnostic tests focused on the early prediction of preterm birth (PTB) risk and other complications of pregnancy. Sera has launched its PreTRM® test, the first and only broadly clinically-validated blood test to accurately predict early in pregnancy the risk of premature birth. The test objectively reports to the physician the risk of premature delivery, enabling earlier proactive interventions designed to prolong gestation and improve neonatal health outcomes. Sera’s technology addresses both the health and economic challenges of PTB. The Company’s strong management team has significant clinical development and women's healthcare diagnostic experience. Sera is backed by highly respected healthcare investors, including Domain Associates, InterWest Partners, Catalyst Health Ventures, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and LabCorp, who recently entered into an agreement with the Company to become the exclusive U.S. distributor of the PreTRM test. Currently, Sera is working with the Gates Foundation to translate the Company’s discoveries into technologies well suited for low-income countries in its journey to improve maternal and infant health globally. Sera Prognostics is located in Salt Lake City, Utah. For more information, please visit the company's website at www.seraprognostics.com.