NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Celmatix, a next-generation women’s health company, today announced Fertilome, a first-of-its-kind genetic screen that reveals how a woman’s DNA may influence her reproductive health. The test, which is available through physicians, gives women unique genetic insights, allowing them to proactively manage their reproductive health and long-term fertility potential.
Fertilome is the result of nearly eight years of Celmatix research focused on the genetic factors associated with the most common reproductive conditions that can lead to fertility difficulties in women, including endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), and primary ovarian insufficiency—a precursor to early menopause. Age is currently the primary fertility-related risk factor that many women weigh when deciding when to start a family and whether to freeze eggs. It is also one of the main factors cited when women are counseled about their chances of success with fertility treatments. Fertilome will reveal to women who are experiencing reproductive difficulties or who plan to start or expand their families in their 30s or 40s if they carry markers associated with common reproductive difficulties. This information may allow them to make proactive decisions while they still have time to act.
“Over the last decade we have seen how genetic information has transformed the cancer field. Providing individuals with deeper insight into their health through genetics has impacted lifestyle choices, prevention, and treatment decisions,” explained Dr. Piraye Yurttas Beim, Celmatix founder and CEO. “Celmatix was founded to bring the same kind of transformational change to the field of reproductive medicine, and it is tremendously rewarding to see our nearly eight years of work bear fruit through Fertilome. Women can now make potentially life-defining decisions about how to proactively plan for the family they want to build and be more efficient in overcoming fertility difficulties they are experiencing using better, more personal information than age.”
“OB-GYNs see women each day who are trying to conceive, sometimes after just a few weeks, or months, but other times longer,” stated Dr. Aaron Caughey, MD, Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Associate Dean for Women’s Health Research and Policy at Oregon Health & Science University. “However, there hasn’t been a tool for physicians to use to better understand and to guide patients who may be more likely to encounter difficulty conceiving and need to seek the help of a specialist earlier, or to counsel women who want to have children in the future and may need to consider egg freezing to preserve optionality. A test like Fertilome allows OB-GYNs to have these conversations with our patients, helps patients to understand what their own genetic signature might say about their fertility potential, and allows them to take charge of their reproductive health.”
“I’m always in search of tools to better understand the challenges my infertility patients are facing that may not be evident with existing tests,” explained Dr. Amber Cooper, MD, Medical and IVF Practice Director at Centers for Reproductive Medicine and Wellness. She continued, “I’m thrilled that, with Fertilome, fertility specialists now have genetic-level insight into what may be causing a particular patient to be experiencing reproductive challenges. Genetic tests like this will help drive the next generation of treatment plans and help us start to focus on family building plans that consider future fertility potential as well as trying to help a patient get to a healthy pregnancy in the short term. This insight will also be tremendously helpful for women in their 30s who are considering egg preservation.”
Fertilome, a laboratory developed test, is run by Celmatix Clinical Laboratories and is the result of a multi-year, systematic literature review and meta-analysis to identify genetic variants that are significantly associated with the most common female reproductive conditions. These associations meet guidelines established by the Clinical Genome Gene-Disease Clinical Validity Classification Framework and the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) and Association of Molecular Pathology (AMP).
About Celmatix
Celmatix is a next-generation women’s health company transforming reproductive healthcare through genomics and big data. Founded in 2009 and based in New York City, Celmatix is disrupting how women approach their lifelong fertility journey by empowering them with more personalized information. The company’s research-driven products include Fertilome, the world’s first comprehensive genetic screen that reveals what a woman's DNA says about her reproductive health, and Polaris, a real-time predictive analytics platform in use at leading fertility clinics across the U.S., which helps physicians optimize patient outcomes and improve the patient experience. For more information, visit www.celmatix.com.
About Celmatix Clinical Laboratories
Celmatix Clinical Laboratories is a high-complexity clinical diagnostics laboratory. It is CLIA-certified for compliance, NY State Department of Health permitted for molecular genetics, and College of American Pathologists (CAP) accredited.
