OAKLAND, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Omicia, Inc., a leading provider of clinical genome interpretation and reporting software, announced today that San Diego-based Rady Children’s Institute for Genomic Medicine has chosen the company as their first line genome interpretation partner for the implementation of Rady Children’s rapid genome testing in their neonatal and pediatric intensive care units (NICU/ PICU). Stephen Kingsmore, M.D., D.Sc., President and CEO of Rady Children’s Institute for Genomic Medicine, pioneered the use of rapid genome sequencing to diagnose critically ill infants, and he has recently demonstrated a Guinness World Record-setting time of 26 hours for whole genome sequencing. The goal of Rady Children’s rapid genome testing is to achieve a 24-hour turnaround time for sequencing and analysis, on a large scale.
Rapid turnaround time is critical to improving outcomes for newborns and infants in intensive care units with urgent, life-threatening issues. To support this turnaround time requirement, Omicia has introduced a new STAT feature in its Opal Clinical software that delivers clinically interpretable information from next-generation sequencing (NGS) data within one hour. This rapid decision support service enables Rady Children’s clinical team to quickly and accurately diagnose patients and develop targeted treatment plans.
Historically, as many as one-third of infants admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in the U.S. have a genetic disease, and it is estimated that more than 20 percent of infant deaths are related to genetic diseases. Early diagnosis and treatment, with the help of genetic testing, can help save lives and minimize ongoing disabilities.
“Time is of the essence, particularly with newborns who cannot tell us about their symptoms,” explains Kingsmore. “We are excited to have dramatically reduced the time required for whole genome sequencing, and the Omicia interpretation platform enables us to quickly apply these insights to pediatric patient care. Accuracy, usability and speed are critical in the application of genetic interpretation, which is why we chose to work with Omicia as a key partner in the process.”
“The work at Rady Children’s is on the cutting edge of precision medicine, and we look forward to collaborating with their world-class team toward the goal of offering the fastest turnaround time for genome interpretation,” said Martin Reese, Ph.D., Co-founder, President and Chief Scientific Officer of Omicia. “This is an important recognition for Omicia, demonstrating the strength of our analytics and interpretation. Our relationship with Rady Children’s complements our participation in the largest international sequencing program, Genomics England’s 100,000 Genomes Project, adding the element of urgency and fast turnaround, which we plan to offer with Opal Clinical. Our goal is to offer this STAT one-hour interpretation service to every intensive care unit in the country to help in the diagnosis of critically ill children.”
Omicia’s reports are generated by the company’s Opal Clinical system, a robust, scalable platform that accelerates the clinical interpretation of NGS data. Utilizing NGS sequencing data, these reports advance precision medicine by accelerating the interpretation process. Noted for accuracy and exceptional report turnaround time, Omicia is the collaboration choice for a growing number of healthcare initiatives.
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About Rady Children’s Institute for Genomic Medicine
Rady Children’s Institute for Genomic Medicine was founded by Rady Children’s Hospital – San Diego and brings together world-class scientists and clinicians into a shared research infrastructure for accelerated translation of research discoveries into prevention, early diagnosis, precise treatments and cures for childhood diseases. This integrated approach to precision medicine includes genomics, transcriptomics, epigenomics, metabolomics and proteomics. This research provides a comprehensive view of a child’s health status and risk factors for disease. http://www.rchsd.org/research/genomics-institute/
About Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego
Rady Children’s Hospital - San Diego is a 551-bed pediatric care facility providing the largest source of comprehensive pediatric medical services in San Diego, Southern Riverside and Imperial counties. Rady Children’s is the only hospital in the San Diego area dedicated exclusively to pediatric healthcare and is the region’s only designated pediatric trauma center. In June 2016, U.S. News & World Report ranked Rady Children’s among the best children’s hospitals in the nation in nine pediatric specialties. Rady Children’s is a nonprofit organization that relies on donations to support its mission. For more information, visit www.rchsd.org and find us on Facebook, Twitter and Vimeo.
About Omicia
Omicia delivers analysis, interpretation and reporting on genomic data, providing tools to expedite diagnosis, improve medical outcomes and propel today’s precision medicine movement. Omicia fills the need for rapid prioritization of clinically actionable data that has grown with the increasing use of next-generation sequencing in clinical practice. Omicia’s software is used at more than 800 academic and clinical institutions worldwide. Headquartered in Oakland, California with an office in the U.K., Omicia was founded by renowned scientists and industry veterans who are pioneers in bioinformatics, genomics and diagnostics. For additional information, visit www.omicia.com and follow us on Twitter @omicia.
