In the past months, health technology rising company Theranos has seen FDA approval of a few of its closed-lipped patents for Theranos blood tests, most notably one for herpes and their kind of lab testing - but a recent investigative report from The Wall Street Journal has risen more than a few doubts about the company started by Elizabeth Holmes.
In the recent report, the rising medical giant claimed that the Theranos blood tests, all of which are being advertised as revolutionary in the way the world diagnoses illnesses, had shown different results from conventional blood tests, something that was later covered up - and now the company's biggest partner, Walgreens, has halted their support while the matter clears up.
According to The Verge, drug chain Walgreens has 41 "wellness centers" using Theranos blood test technology around the country, but recently an official has said that the company would be stopping further growth of this initiative for the time being.
"Plans to open more Theranos Wellness Centers are dependent upon both companies' ability to reach a mutually beneficial arrangement," said a Walgreens rep about further expansion of Theranos blood tests in their stores, according to Business2Community. "We're trying to figure out where we are and what we do going forward. We need to understand the truth."
On the inside, Walgreens has put forward a special team to deal with investigations of their partner and the way Theranos' blood tests are being held.
Since the original Journal report came out, Theranos has issued a statement responding to the news outlet's claims, as CEO and founder Holmes took to the company's website to explain that the propriety technology behind their tests was too different to traditional blood testing to be compared, adding that they were equally sure of their accuracy after millions of tests.
If Walgreens ceases its partnership with the company, Theranos blood tests would have to be sold to doctors directly.
