Christopher Viele
President and CEO
Professional
I was named to my present position in 1997; prior to this assignment, I was vice president of Sales and Marketing for KRONUS, having been appointed to the position in 1994.
Education
BA in Communications from the University of California,
San Diego
Personal
I am married and have two children. Personal interests include: food and wine, music, travel, and mountain biking and hiking in the Idaho foothills.
If you were explaining KRONUS, Inc., to someone who was not familiar with the company, how would you characterize its primary areas of expertise? KRONUS is a longstanding and trusted provider of autoimmune diagnostic test kits to the medical and scientific community. Since its founding in 1986, the company has worked in partnership with several of the world’s leading research and developmental scientists to assemble a unique and innovative product line useful in the assessment, diagnosis, and management of various organ-specific autoimmune diseases. Our extensive experience working with clients in the laboratory marketplace, together with the tremendous support of our many valued customers, has driven the company’s success while deepening our areas of expertise. In addition to our ongoing commitment to offering products of only the highest quality, KRONUS provides access to highly trained technical support staff and knowledgeable customer service representatives—all with a collective goal of total customer satisfaction—who are readily available to all of the company’s customers.
What market(s) does KRONUS primarily serve? What are the major categories of solutions it offers to its customers? KRONUS markets and distributes its products to medical professionals at a variety of clinical and research laboratories in North America as well as other locations throughout the world. KRONUS enjoys the opportunity to work with laboratories at all levels of testing volumes who utilize our assays to perform analyses on blood specimens to assess disease state, confirm physician diagnosis, and monitor the effectiveness of curative measures applied over time. The company’s comprehensive product offering encompasses enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunofluorescence antibody assay (IFA), and radioimmunoassay (RIA) test kits, which are highly sensitive and specific methods useful in both clinical and research-oriented testing. The current product offering is focused in the areas of neuroimmunology, islet cell autoimmunity, adrenal autoimmunity, and thyroid autoimmunity.
What products or services offered by your company are unique? What specific benefits do they provide? KRONUS was founded on the premise of providing the highest quality products in conjunction with the highest level of customer service possible. This underlying commitment and focus has resulted in the availability of specialized immunoassay test kits that offer optimal sensitivity and specificity, providing for consistent and reliable results. For instance, the company’s steroid 21-hydroxylase antibody (21-OHAb) test kit may be useful as an aid in the diagnosis of autoimmune adrenal disease, whether expressed as autoimmune Addison’s Disease or Addison’s Disease as part of the more complex autoimmune polyglandular syndrome (APS), Type I or II. In addition, KRONUS offers test kits for the measurement of autoantibodies to three key autoantigens— glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), IA-2, and insulin—that may prove beneficial in identifying individuals at risk of the autoimmune progression of diabetes. In the area of neuroimmunology, the company’s product offering includes voltage-gated calcium channel antibody (VGCCAb) and acetylcholine receptor antibody (AChRAb) test kits. The company also offers several additional products that are suitable for use in research-oriented applications.
How has KRONUS responded to growing or changing needs in any or all of these areas? Through longstanding and well-established relations with our R&D and manufacturing partners, KRONUS has remained in the forefront of offering immunoassay test kits that provide clinically beneficial information previously unmet through other methods of assessment, if any. To that end, the company now offers more than a dozen immunoassay test kits and related laboratory reagents useful in the assessment of various autoimmune diseases. KRONUS remains committed to continuously improving and enhancing its product offering to meet the growing and changing needs of the medical community. Opportunities that are deemed to be of potential value to laboratory medicine and patient care are continuously sought and comprehensively evaluated.
How does KRONUS work with national organizations or associations to advance the understanding of endocrinology, immunology, and diabetes? KRONUS takes great pride in having built lasting relationships with numerous national organizations and associations through its active memberships and sponsorship support and by making available products unique to various areas of research and improved patient care. The American Academy of Neurology, American Diabetes Association, and Clinical Immunology Society are just a few examples of the invaluable associations to which KRONUS provides support, and in so doing helps to promote and advance their advocacy efforts. Lastly, KRONUS is fortunate to have the opportunity to work with and support the collaborative efforts of the multifaceted Network for Pancreatic Organ Donors with Diabetes (nPOD) through the supply of test kits beneficial to their comprehensive and far-reaching research aimed at finding a cure for type 1 diabetes.
