Jan. 28--Walgreens said Thursday that it has suspended the use of a California blood testing laboratory run by a startup after federal regulators found deficiencies at the facility.
Walgreens said patient blood samples collected at 40 stores in Arizona will be sent to a Theranos lab in the Phoenix area or to a third-party lab for analysis.
The Deerfield-based drugstore chain has been stung by its ties to Theranos, a onetime Silicon Valley darling whose blood testing technology is under scrutiny. Walgreens is Theranos' retail partner, operating "wellness centers" in Arizona that are the startup's primary access to consumers.
Walgreens is also temporarily suspending lab services at a wellness center in its Palo Alto, Calif., store.
The U.S. Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services, the chief federal regulator of clinical labs, said in a letter released Wednesday that Theranos' lab in Newark, Calif., poses an "immediate jeopardy to patient health and safety." Theranos said that it has already addressed many of the issues raised by health inspectors and plans to submit a full corrective plan to the regulator within days.
But Theranos' assurances weren't enough for Walgreens. The company said no patient samples will be sent to the Newark lab until all issues raised by the government have been fully resolved.
