Good Start Genetics, Inc. Launches EmbryVu, Affordable PGS Testing

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Good Start Genetics, Inc., a commercial-stage molecular genetics information company, announced today the availability of EmbryVu, a new preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) test. PGS improves the chances of successful in vitro fertilization (IVF) by identifying embryos that have an increased chance of implantation and successful pregnancy. Good Start Genetics is offering EmbryVu at considerably lower prices than other PGS tests currently on the market.

“Advances in infertility medicine are being made every day that are helping people realize their dream of building a family”

The process begins with the safe removal of a few cells from embryos created during the IVF process. EmbryVu tests for the presence or absence of whole chromosomes in each sample to determine those with the expected number. Embryos found to have more or fewer chromosomes than expected are referred to as aneuploid, and can fail to implant or result in miscarriage. Because EmbryVu will help fertility specialists select embryos for transfer that have a normal chromosome complement, it is expected to significantly increase the chances of a successful pregnancy. Good Start Genetics is offering this service at considerably lower prices than other PGS products currently available, enabling IVF clinicians to offer PGS more widely.

In December of 2014, Good Start Genetics entered into an exclusive license agreement with Johns Hopkins University (JHU) for FAST-SeqS, the Fast Aneuploidy Screening Test-Sequencing System, invented by Drs. Bert Vogelstein, Ken Kinzler, Isaac Kinde, and Nickolas Papadopoulos of JHU, which enables the screening of embryos for chromosome abnormalities prior to implantation in an IVF setting.

“Advances in infertility medicine are being made every day that are helping people realize their dream of building a family,” said Barbara Collura, president and chief executive officer of RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, a non-profit organization improving the lives of people living with infertility. “For more than 40 years, RESOLVE’s mission has been to support those who are having trouble conceiving while raising awareness and advocating for the infertility community. We applaud healthcare providers, scientists and researchers that are advancing the field and science and offering treatments, products, and services that help people build their families.”

“Good Start Genetics is an ally for those striving to conceive, and we expect that our research in PGS and the development of EmbryVu will help IVF couples get one step closer,” said Don Hardison, president and chief executive officer of Good Start Genetics. “Partnerships with highly respected groups like RESOLVE allow us to communicate and work with families navigating through the IVF process in achieving their goal of a healthy pregnancy.”

EmbryVu is available through IVF centers across the country.

About Good Start Genetics®, Inc.

Good Start Genetics is a molecular genetics information company transforming the standard of care in reproductive medicine. Its suite of reproductive genetics products provides clinicians and patients with insightful and actionable information in order to promote successful pregnancies and healthy families. Its flagship genetic carrier screening service, GeneVu™, is a comprehensive menu of highly-accurate tests for known and novel mutations that cause inherited genetic disorders, and its advanced preimplantation genetic screening test, EmbryVu™, is helping a wider range of couples find their paths to pregnancy at significantly lower costs. Good Start Genetics complements these tests and its proprietary next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) capabilities with world-class customer care and thoughtful genetic counseling to help families prepare for tomorrow. For more information, please visit www.goodstartgenetics.com.

About RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association: Established in 1974, RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association is a non-profit organization with the only established, nationwide network mandated to promote reproductive health and to ensure equal access to all family building options for men and women experiencing infertility or other reproductive disorders. One in eight U.S. couples of childbearing age is diagnosed with infertility. RESOLVE addresses this public health issue by providing community to these women and men, connecting them with others who can help, empowering them to find resolution and giving voice to their demands for access to all family building options. For more information, visit www.RESOLVE.org