18th U.S. Surgeon General Joins Scipher Medicine

Dr. Regina Benjamin to Advise on Access to Precision Medicine Driving Better Health Outcomes for Patients with Autoimmune Diseases


WALTHAM, Mass., Oct. 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Scipher Medicine, a precision immunology company matching patients with most effective therapy, has appointed former United States Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, MD, MBA, to its Board of Advisors. Dr. Benjamin will provide guidance on securing nationwide patient access to the company’s molecular signature portfolio of tests enabling clinicians to prescribe optimal therapy from day one.

“We are honored to have Dr. Benjamin join Scipher to solve some of healthcare’s greatest challenges, including the wasted expense on ineffective therapies and sub-optimal clinical outcomes that occur in the absence of a precision medicine approach.” said Alif Saleh, Chief Executive Officer of Scipher Medicine. “Dr. Benjamin’s vast healthcare experience and knowledge will help ensure that people with autoimmune diseases can access tests that improve patient outcomes and reduce overall healthcare costs.”

“Prevention is essential for improving population health, and precision medicine has an enormous role to play in addressing patient outcomes.” said Dr. Benjamin. “Scipher’s technology is equipping clinicians with evidence-based tools that help guide patients toward individualized and precise therapies. I am pleased to join Scipher as they make precision diagnostics accessible to autoimmune patients of any background or financial situation.”

Dr. Benjamin served as the 18th U.S. Surgeon General from 2009 to 2013. She was also chair of the National Prevention Council, composed of 17 cabinet-level heads of federal agencies that released the first-ever National Prevention Strategy, whose goal was to change our healthcare system from one based on sickness and disease, to one of wellness and prevention. Dr. Benjamin serves on the boards of Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and Health Plan, Ascension Health, and 3 publicly traded healthcare companies. As a family physician, and Founder of BayouClinic, Inc, Dr. Benjamin is one of the nation’s leading voices on population and preventive health issues.

Dr. Benjamin joins Scipher shortly following the analytical and clinical validation of PrismRA. Scipher also recently announced a partnership with Galapagos NV to leverage real world clinico-genomic data from tested patients to identify more effective drug targets in autoimmune diseases.

About PrismRA
PrismRA, a molecular signature test, is a revolutionary advancement bringing precision medicine to the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, which affects 20 million patients globally. From a routine blood draw, the PrismRA test analyzes an individual's molecular signature, helping identify who is unlikely to adequately respond to TNFi therapy, the world’s largest selling drug class, so non-responders can be prescribed alternative effective therapy. Providers now have objective data to guide therapeutic decision-making and give patients the best chance of achieving treatment targets and improving clinical outcomes. For more information, please visit www.PrismRA.com

About Scipher Medicine
Scipher Medicine, a precision immunology company, holds the fundamental belief that patients deserve simple answers to treatment options based on scientifically backed data. Leveraging our proprietary Network Medicine platform and artificial intelligence, we commercialize blood tests revealing a persons’ unique molecular disease signature and match such signature to the most effective therapy, ensuring optimal treatment from day one. The unprecedented amount of patient molecular data generated from our tests further drives the discovery and development of novel and more effective therapeutics. We partner with payers, providers, and pharma along the health care value chain to bring precision medicine to autoimmune diseases. Scipher Medicine is backed by Khosla Ventures, Northpond Ventures, and UnitedHealth Group. Visit www.sciphermedicine.com and follow Scipher on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Media Contact:
Alexander Petti
alexander@takeoncommunications.com
201-978-4882

Scipher Medicine company contact:
Andrea Moore
andrea.moore@sciphermedicine.com
801-209-1175

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b042d223-30cc-4642-8622-41499e99964e


Dr Benjamin photo