Quest Diagnostics has signed an agreement to acquire Cleveland Clinic spinoff Cleveland HeartLab, known for its specialized diagnostic services for managing cardiovascular disease (CVD). Cleveland HeartLab offers testing for numerous markers not included in a routine cholesterol panel, including certain types of inflammation, genetics, endocrine and metabolic disorders, lipid particle composition, and intestinal microbes.

Quest plans to build on Cleveland HeartLab’s expertise by establishing a national center of diagnostic information services at Cleveland HeartLab’s specialized laboratory. This center will combine Cleveland HeartLab’s personalized evaluation of CVD risk with Quest’s Cardio IQ lipid particle analysis and genetic and metabolic testing.

In connection with the acquisition, Quest and Cleveland Clinic are also forming a strategic collaboration to develop advanced diagnostics for various diseases. Quest and Cleveland Clinic will create a steering committee of experts from both companies to evaluate biomarkers for inflammation and additional areas of disease discovered by Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute and other divisions. Depending on the results of these studies, Quest might then independently develop test services for these biomarkers. The two entities also intend to collaborate on trials to demonstrate the clinical and economic value of these and other biomarkers.