Labcorp announced the launch of its first trimester preeclampsia screening test to be performed between 11 and 14 weeks gestation to determine the risk of developing preeclampsia before 34 weeks of pregnancy. It is the only test of its kind available in the United States and is relevant for all pregnant individuals, including those with a low- to average-risk for preeclampsia or first-time pregnancies. Preeclampsia is a high blood pressure disorder that can develop during pregnancy or postpartum and is a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide.

Roughly one in 25 pregnancies in the U.S. is affected by preeclampsia, which poses an even greater risk for non-Hispanic Black women, who experience the condition at a 60% higher rate compared to white women. With this test launch, Labcorp is now the only laboratory to offer tests that screen for preeclampsia risk across all trimesters of pregnancy. In January 2024, Labcorp announced the launch and availability of an FDA-cleared blood test for risk assessment and clinical management of severe preeclampsia during the second and third trimesters.

The first trimester test uses four key early pregnancy biomarkers to provide a comprehensive risk assessment with up to 90% sensitivity, nearly twice the sensitivity of assessing typical maternal history or biophysical factors alone. The test results provide risk identification earlier than traditional symptoms such as hypertension or protein in the urine, which tend to develop around 20 weeks gestation. The blood-based test produces a risk score by measuring two biochemical markers ?

placental growth factor (PlGF) and pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) ? and two biophysical markers ? mean arterial pressure (MAP) and uterine artery pulsatility index (UtAPI).

Low levels of PlGF and PAPP-A indicate poor placental development and function, while high MAP and UtAPI levels indicate high blood pressure and elevated resistance to blood flow across the uterine artery.