Upstream commences development of Marker C

Marker C has been identified as a marker of unstable angina, a form of cardiovascular disease. It could be applied to further triage the troponin grey zone in emergency departments.

The troponin grey zone accounts for at least 1 in 3 to 1 in 2 patients who present to the emergency department with chest pain. While most of these patients won’t have had a heart attack, many will have had unstable angina, or chest pain at rest, which means they need to be triaged to determine whether an imminent heart attack is likely.

The triaging process requires hours of the patients’ time and resource-intensive outpatient testing.  The ability to identify Marker C in these patients when they first present to the emergency department will facilitate rapid and accurate diagnosis of unstable angina, allowing patients to either receive immediate medical treatment or be sent safely home.