BioReference executes COVID-19 testing program for NBA and NHL for 2020-21 seasons, as well as U.S. Women’s and Men’s National Soccer Teams, Winter X Games and NBA G League
ELMWOOD PARK, N.J., January 26, 2021 – BioReference Laboratories, Inc., an OPKO Health company (NASDAQ:OPK), today announced COVID-19 testing agreements for players and officials, as well as team and league staff for the 2020-2021 seasons for the National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Hockey League (NHL).
For the 2020-21 NBA season, BioReference has been providing testing services, utilizing PCR and rapid diagnostics, at the 30 NBA team facilities in 28 cities across the U.S. BioReference previously supported the NBA’s 2019-20 season restart.
Under an agreement with the NHL, BioReference will provide COVID-19 testing to players, coaches, staff and officials, which includes COVID-19 PCR laboratory-based diagnostics, and rapid diagnostics to the 24 U.S.-based teams.
In addition, BioReference is currently supporting the Winter X Games in Aspen, U.S. Soccer’s Women’s and Men’s National Teams and the NBA G League in Orlando.
“Continuing to support the NBA in the 2020-21 season, showcases lessons learned from Orlando, and leverages emerging technology to support the current season and the overall partnership we have built throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Jon R. Cohen, M.D., Executive Chairman of BioReference Laboratories. “Utilizing similar detailed and systematic protocols, we have been selected to support the NHL, U.S. Soccer, Winter X Games and NBA G League. It is a privilege for BioReference to support professional sports, underscoring our commitment to develop customized solutions that assist Americans in getting back to the workplace safely and provide the nation access to entertainment.”
About BioReference Laboratories, Inc.
BioReference provides comprehensive testing to physicians, clinics, hospitals, employers, government units, correctional institutions, and medical groups. BioReference developed and offers test services that yield high quality and accurate results, including a molecular test for helping with COVID-19 diagnosis and a serology test to help indicate possible COVID-19 exposure. The company is in network with the five largest health plans in the United States, operates a network of 11 laboratory locations, and is backed by a medical staff of more than 120 M.D., Ph.D. and other professional level clinicians and scientists. With a leading position in the areas of genetics, women’s health, maternal fetal medicine, oncology, and urology, BioReference and its specialty laboratories, GenPath and GeneDx, are advancing the course of modern medicine. For more information, visit www.bioreference.com.
About OPKO Health, Inc.
OPKO is a multinational biopharmaceutical and diagnostics company that seeks to establish industry-leading positions in large, rapidly growing markets by leveraging its discovery, development, and commercialization expertise and novel and proprietary technologies. For more information, visit www.opko.com.
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 the role and value of testing, whether the results from our previous testing program can be successfully duplicated or deployed in other settings or venues, whether implementing the same strategies or other strategies will be successful in preventing the spread of the disease or providing safety against infection to the participants, as well as other non-historical statements about our expectations, beliefs or intentions regarding our business, technologies and products, and strategies. 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 those 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.
Media Contact:
Hillary Titus, 201-406-9968
htitus@bioreference.com
