Quest Diagnostics announced that it will collaborate with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to identify trends in screening, diagnosis and treatment for four strains of viral hepatitis in the United States, based on insights revealed by analysis of Quest's national testing database. Under terms of the multi-year contract, Quest Diagnostics will provide CDC researchers with analytics expertise and access to the company's national Quest Diagnostics Health Trends ¢ database of de-identified clinical testing hepatitis data. The agreement is the first fee-based contract for hepatitis-related research awarded by CDC to a diagnostic information services provider.

The goal of the collaboration is to generate diagnostic-based insights that will improve the ability of public health authorities to develop and monitor medical guidelines designed to reduce disease prevalence and enhance outcomes through earlier diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis. The new agreement supplants a non-fee-based agreement formed by CDC and Quest Diagnostics in July 2013. Under that prior agreement, the organizations jointly analyzed de-identified hepatitis C testing data in the Quest Diagnostics Health Trends database for individuals born between 1945 and 1965.

In 2012, CDC issued recommendations for one-time lab screening for hepatitis C for these Baby Boomers, who are five times more likely than other adults to be infected with hepatitis C. Untreated, chronic hepatitis can cause liver cancer and death.