Counsyl Supports New Guidance From American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist On Expanded Carrier Screening For Prenatal Genetic Testing

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Counsyl, a DNA testing and genetic counseling service company, welcomes the new carrier screening guidelines issued by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), which, among other guidance, recognizes expanded carrier screening as an acceptable strategy for prepregnancy and prenatal carrier screening for patients and their partners.

“We believe the inclusion of carrier screening in routine clinical practice will help all couples, regardless of ethnicity, learn their risk of passing down serious inheritable conditions to their children and to proactively manage their health”

“We believe the inclusion of carrier screening in routine clinical practice will help all couples, regardless of ethnicity, learn their risk of passing down serious inheritable conditions to their children and to proactively manage their health,” said James Goldberg, MD, chief medical officer of Counsyl. “We are also in alignment with ACOG’s recommendation that OB/GYN practices develop a consistent, standardized approach in offering and discussing carrier screening with each patient, ideally before pregnancy.”

The ACOG Committee Opinion references a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published in August 2016 by researchers from Counsyl and Dr. Ronald J. Wapner from Columbia University Medical Center. The JAMA study included 346,790 individuals and found that expanded carrier screening identified more pregnancies at risk for severe or profound conditions than guideline-recommended panels, across ethnicities. The authors of the study noted at the time that carrier screening guidelines primarily targeted a number of diseases prevalent in those of European descent (such as cystic fibrosis), but they did not identify risk for other conditions that may be important to more diverse populations.

“As the pioneer and U.S. market leader in expanded carrier screening, Counsyl is pleased that ACOG’s guidance accounts for new research that examines the opportunity to detect more at-risk couples across ethnicities with expanded carrier screening,” said Ramji Srinivasan, co-founder and CEO of Counsyl. “We look forward to continuing to support OB/GYN practices as they begin to offer expanded carrier screening more routinely in prepregnancy and prenatal patient care.”

About Counsyl

Counsyl is a DNA testing and genetic counseling service. We're committed to helping patients understand their DNA and how it can inform important health decisions. Whether it’s starting a family or evaluating risk for cancer, Counsyl's DNA tests provide patients with early awareness about genetic conditions, so they can live informed and prepare for the future. Counsyl has screened more than 700,000 patients and served more than 10,000 healthcare professionals. For more information, visit www.counsyl.com.

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