Brooke Buchanan, spokeswoman for Palo Alto, Calif.-based Theranos, confirmed with the San Francisco Chronicle she is leaving the company after less than 12 months on the job.
Theranos has faced a slew of difficult news over the past few months. The blood testing startup is under investigation by the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission, recently lost a partnership with Walgreens and recalled tens of thousands of blood tests. And that's only in recent news — since last fall, the company lost a partnership with Safeway; it was prohibited by the FDA from using its proprietary technology on all but one test; CMS threatened to ban founder Elizabeth Holmes from operating labs for two years and revoke the lab's license; the company reduced its board by more than half; and it faces several potential class action lawsuits.
Ms. Buchanan, previously press secretary to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), stuck through it all, issuing company statements to refute negative coverage that permeated media. Theranos told the San Francisco Chronicle she is leaving the company for personal reasons, while the company plans to soldier on.
Theranos is increasing its workforce, opening a lab in Harrisburg, Pa., and presenting its technology at the American Association of Clinical Chemistry annual meeting.
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