ELMWOOD PARK, N.J., March 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BioReference Laboratories, Inc., an OPKO Health company (NASDAQ: OPK), is now accepting specimens for testing of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from healthcare providers, clinics and health systems throughout the United States. In addition, BioReference has announced a partnership with the New York State Department of Health to provide testing for the first public drive-through testing facility on the East Coast. The facility will be located in New Rochelle, NY, the epicenter for the New York State outbreak. BioReference, in partnership with the state of New York, also expects to begin offering up to 5,000 tests a day at additional satellite testing sites to be set up next week.

"Cases of COVID-19 are increasing across the US, making access to testing a critical component in helping healthcare providers identify infected patients more quickly. BioReference has been working expeditiously to develop and offer this test that will yield high-quality and accurate results," said Jon R. Cohen, M.D., Executive Chairman of BioReference Laboratories. "I believe that the private sector should be part of the solution in controlling the COVID-19 outbreak and am proud that BioReference can assist Governor Cuomo as he leads New York State through this crisis."

For more information about BioReference Laboratories and coronavirus testing options, please visit www.bioreference.com/coronavirus.

Providers should refer to the most current CDC guidelines for further information on appropriate testing of patients, available here https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/clinical-criteria.html

About BioReference Laboratories, Inc.

BioReference provides comprehensive testing to physicians, clinics, hospitals, employers, government units, correctional institutions and medical groups. The company is in network with the five largest health plans in the United States, operates a network of 10 laboratory locations, and is backed by a medical staff of more than 160 MD, PhD and other professional level clinicians and scientists. For more information, visit www.bioreference.com.

About OPKO Health

OPKO Health is a diversified healthcare company. In diagnostics, its BioReference Laboratories is one of the nation's largest full-service clinical laboratories; GeneDx is a rapidly growing genetic testing business; the 4Kscore® test is used to assess a patient's individual risk for aggressive prostate cancer following an elevated PSA and to help decide about next steps such as prostate biopsy; Claros® 1 is a point-of-care diagnostics platform with a total PSA test approved by the FDA. In our pharmaceutical pipeline, RAYALDEE is our first pharmaceutical product to be marketed. OPK88003, a once-weekly oxyntomodulin for type 2 diabetes and obesity - reported positive data from a Phase 2 clinical trial. It's among a new class of GLP-1/glucagon receptor dual agonists. OPK88004, a SARM (selective androgen receptor modulator) is currently being studied for various potential indications. The Company's most advanced product utilizing its CTP technology, a once-weekly human growth hormone for injection, successfully met its primary endpoint and key secondary endpoints in a Phase 3 study and is partnered with Pfizer. OPKO also has research, development, production and distribution facilities abroad.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements," as that term is defined under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA), which statements may be identified by words such as "expects," "plans," "projects," "will," "may," "anticipates," "believes," "should," "intends," "estimates," and other words of similar meaning, including statements regarding BioReference's COVID-19 testing, its planned partnership with the New York State Department of Health to provide COVID-19 testing for drive-through testing facilities, the number of tests BioReference is expected to perform and BioReference's testing capacity, and whether additional testing sites will be established, as well as other non-historical statements about our expectations, beliefs or intentions regarding our business, technologies and products, financial condition, strategies or prospects. Many factors could cause our actual activities or results to differ materially from the activities and results anticipated in forward-looking statements. These factors include reagent and equipment shortages which could hinder COVID-19 testing, as well as statements described in the OPKO Health, Inc. Annual Reports on Form 10-K filed and to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and in its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, forward-looking statements may also be adversely affected by general market factors, competitive product development, product availability, federal and state regulations and legislation, the regulatory process for new products and indications, manufacturing issues that may arise, patent positions and litigation, among other factors. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date the statements were made, and we do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements. We intend that all forward-looking statements be subject to the safe-harbor provisions of the PSLRA

Contact:

Natalie Cummins, BioReference Laboratories

media@bioreference.com

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/opkos-bioreference-laboratories-offers-testing-for-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19-301022767.html

SOURCE BioReference Laboratories, Inc