Latest News
Good Start Genetics introduces new NGS approach to preimplantation genetic screening
23 October 2014 - 23 October 2014 - US molecular diagnostics firm Good Start Genetics Inc disclosed Wednesday the presentation of five abstracts at the 2014 annual meetings of the American Society for Human Genetics (ASHG) and the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) showcasing the broadening clinical application of Good Start Genetics' next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) technology and providing updated data showing that the company's NGS-based carrier screening tests more comprehensively evaluate carrier status, resulting in fewer missed carriers compared to other technologies.

At both meetings Good Start Genetics presented initial data backing the feasibility of a new method to evaluate embryos for the correct number of chromosomes before implantation in an in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) setting. Evidence is piling up that this practice, known as preimplantation genetic screening (PGS), increases implantation and decreases miscarriage rates. Yet widespread adoption of PGS has been limited in part because of the high cost associated with traditional approaches.

The data presented by Good Start Genetics details an automated PCR-based method which can be employed to infer copy number for each chromosome. Initial studies show accurate detection of abnormal chromosome copy numbers with high sensitivity and specificity. These initial results highlight the potential for Good Start's method to be applied to PGS in the IVF setting.

Don Hardison, president and CEO of Good Start Genetics, said the company will continue to expand the body of evidence in support of its carrier screening test GoodStart Select and explore additional ways in which the technology may provide actionable information to clinicians, patients and their partners before pregnancy.

At ASRM the company also presented updated clinical data showing that Good Start Genetics' NGS platform detected significantly more mutations than common screening assays - specifically 63.1% of distinct disease causing mutations detected by NGS would have been missed with traditional screening. In a clinical setting, in IVF centres across the USA, 2309 pathogenic mutations among 15 genes were detected across 48761 patients. If traditional screening assays from six leading laboratories had been used, 14% - 22% of all carriers identified would have been missed, Good Start Genetics points out, thus increasing the risk of a reproductive couple conceiving a child with a debilitating or fatal genetic disorder.

GoodStart Select is Good Start Genetics' menu of genetic carrier screening tests that, according to the company, for diseases such as cystic fibrosis, detects a far greater number of disease-causing mutations than traditional genotyping- based screening tests, regardless of patient ethnicity. GoodStart Select includes a suite of proprietary technologies, processes and algorithms engineered 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.

In order to support its genetic carrier screening capabilities, the company has a dedicated team of customer care specialists and board certified genetic counsellors who provide step-by-step support from test selection through results analysis and reporting. Good Start Genetics aims to enable reproductive health specialists and their patients to have the highest degree of confidence in their genetic carrier screening results.
Login
Username:

Password: