Good Start Genetics, Inc. Announces Exclusive License Agreement With Johns Hopkins University For Key Assets In Preimplantion Genetic Screening
Proprietary Technology Offers a Simple, Efficient Method for Important Procedure in Reproductive Health
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., December 8, 2014 - Good Start Genetics®, Inc., a commercial-stage molecular genetic information company, today announced that it has entered into an exclusive license agreement with Johns Hopkins University (JHU) for FAST-SeqS, Fast Aneuploidy Screening Test-Sequencing System, invented by Drs. Bert Vogelstein, Ken Kinzler, Isaac Kinde, and Nickolas Papadopoulos of JHU. FAST-SeqS enables the screening of embryos for chromosome abnormalities prior to implantation in an in vitro fertilization setting. This practice, called preimplantation genetic screening, or PGS, increases the potential of transferring an embryo with the correct number of chromosomes and may ultimately increase pregnancy rates. FAST-SeqS may also have applications well beyond aneuploidy screening.
“Our agreement with JHU is an exciting development in PGS and reinforces Good Start’s commitment to developing new approaches in reproductive health,” stated Don Hardison, president and chief executive officer of Good Start Genetics. “FAST-SeqS has demonstrated that it can enable accurate PGS, and the technology may have applications beyond PGS such as in prenatal testing. We look forward to further developing this technology and continuing to provide useful genetic information to physicians and prospective families.”
FAST-SeqS is a simple, efficient method to count the number of chromosomes in an embryo. The technology uses a single primer pair to select and amplify distinct sections of the genome that occur on every chromosome. Existing PGS methods assess chromosome copy number, but are costly and often require lengthy turnarounds for results. The novel approach developed by Johns Hopkins researchers may help reduce costs associated with PGS and thereby make this testing more accessible to a wider range of patients. Over the past year, Good Start Genetics has developed the FAST-SeqS technology towards the development of a proprietary PGS assay.
About GoodStart Select™
GoodStart Select is Good Start Genetics’ menu of genetic carrier screening tests that, for diseases such as cystic fibrosis, detects many more disease-causing mutations than traditional genotyping- based screening tests, regardless of patient ethnicity. The product of years of development and rigorous validation, GoodStart Select includes a suite of proprietary technologies, processes and algorithms designed to harness the power of next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS), to provide highly accurate and actionable tests resulting in higher mutation detection rates and fewer missed carriers.
To support its genetic carrier screening capabilities, Good Start Genetics has a dedicated team of customer care specialists and board certified genetic counselors who provide step-by-step support, from test selection through results, analysis and reporting. Good Start Genetics seeks to enable reproductive health specialists and their patients to have the highest degree of confidence in their genetic carrier screening results.
About Good Start Genetics, Inc.
Good Start Genetics is a commercial-stage molecular genetic information company focused on fundamentally transforming the standard of care in reproductive medicine by providing physicians and their patients with clinically relevant and actionable information concerning inherited genetic disorders. Good Start Genetics’ powerful, proprietary next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) capabilities are supplemented by other proven genetic screening technologies and supported by its commitment to customer care and genetic counseling. Through GoodStart Select, the company provides a comprehensive and clinically actionable menu of genetic carrier screening tests for known and novel mutations that cause inherited genetic disorders. For more information, please visit www.goodstartgenetics.com.
-- Katie W. Engleman
Director, Media Relations and Account Management
Pure Communications, Inc.
Office: 910-509-3977
Cell: 919-333-7722
katie@purecommunicationsinc.com
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CAMBRIDGE, Mass., December 8, 2014 - Good Start Genetics®, Inc., a commercial-stage molecular genetic information company, today announced that it has entered into an exclusive license agreement with Johns Hopkins University (JHU) for FAST-SeqS, Fast Aneuploidy Screening Test-Sequencing System, invented by Drs. Bert Vogelstein, Ken Kinzler, Isaac Kinde, and Nickolas Papadopoulos of JHU. FAST-SeqS enables the screening of embryos for chromosome abnormalities prior to implantation in an in vitro fertilization setting. This practice, called preimplantation genetic screening, or PGS, increases the potential of transferring an embryo with the correct number of chromosomes and may ultimately increase pregnancy rates. FAST-SeqS may also have applications well beyond aneuploidy screening.
“Our agreement with JHU is an exciting development in PGS and reinforces Good Start’s commitment to developing new approaches in reproductive health,” stated Don Hardison, president and chief executive officer of Good Start Genetics. “FAST-SeqS has demonstrated that it can enable accurate PGS, and the technology may have applications beyond PGS such as in prenatal testing. We look forward to further developing this technology and continuing to provide useful genetic information to physicians and prospective families.”
FAST-SeqS is a simple, efficient method to count the number of chromosomes in an embryo. The technology uses a single primer pair to select and amplify distinct sections of the genome that occur on every chromosome. Existing PGS methods assess chromosome copy number, but are costly and often require lengthy turnarounds for results. The novel approach developed by Johns Hopkins researchers may help reduce costs associated with PGS and thereby make this testing more accessible to a wider range of patients. Over the past year, Good Start Genetics has developed the FAST-SeqS technology towards the development of a proprietary PGS assay.
About GoodStart Select™
GoodStart Select is Good Start Genetics’ menu of genetic carrier screening tests that, for diseases such as cystic fibrosis, detects many more disease-causing mutations than traditional genotyping- based screening tests, regardless of patient ethnicity. The product of years of development and rigorous validation, GoodStart Select includes a suite of proprietary technologies, processes and algorithms designed to harness the power of next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS), to provide highly accurate and actionable tests resulting in higher mutation detection rates and fewer missed carriers.
To support its genetic carrier screening capabilities, Good Start Genetics has a dedicated team of customer care specialists and board certified genetic counselors who provide step-by-step support, from test selection through results, analysis and reporting. Good Start Genetics seeks to enable reproductive health specialists and their patients to have the highest degree of confidence in their genetic carrier screening results.
About Good Start Genetics, Inc.
Good Start Genetics is a commercial-stage molecular genetic information company focused on fundamentally transforming the standard of care in reproductive medicine by providing physicians and their patients with clinically relevant and actionable information concerning inherited genetic disorders. Good Start Genetics’ powerful, proprietary next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) capabilities are supplemented by other proven genetic screening technologies and supported by its commitment to customer care and genetic counseling. Through GoodStart Select, the company provides a comprehensive and clinically actionable menu of genetic carrier screening tests for known and novel mutations that cause inherited genetic disorders. For more information, please visit www.goodstartgenetics.com.
-- Katie W. Engleman
Director, Media Relations and Account Management
Pure Communications, Inc.
Office: 910-509-3977
Cell: 919-333-7722
katie@purecommunicationsinc.com
Help employers find you! Check out all the jobs and post your resume.