MUNICH & SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SYNLAB, the leading laboratory diagnostic services provider in Europe, and Counsyl, a DNA testing and genetic counseling service company headquartered in the United States, have entered into an agreement for the commercialization of Counsyl’s proprietary Expanded Carrier Screening (ECS) test in selected countries in Europe and Latin America, including initially in Spain (now available), Portugal, Italy, Switzerland and Colombia. The test will be commercialized as preconGEN, SYNLAB’s trademark for the test. Counsyl’s physician-ordered ECS, commercialized as Family Prep Screen in the U.S., leads the industry in identifying the approximately 2.6 percent of couples (European descent) who are at-risk of passing serious and actionable conditions to their children. This information allows couples to make informed decisions for more than 175 prevalent and serious conditions when planning to have children.
Counsyl, the pioneer and U.S. market leader in ECS, has screened more than 750,000 patients and identified more than 8,000 couples at-risk of passing inherited conditions to their children in the U.S. The company’s clinical researchers also spearheaded the largest and most diverse study on ECS to date, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), which quantifies the clinical impact of ECS and demonstrates a significant opportunity to identify more pregnancies affected by serious genetic conditions. This publication was recently referenced in the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ (ACOG) new Committee Opinion, which, among other guidance, recognizes ECS as an acceptable strategy for pre-pregnancy and prenatal carrier screening for couples.
"We are delighted to partner with Counsyl to offer our doctors and their patients access to genetic information through this proprietary, industry-leading test that will help individuals make informed decisions in conjunction with their healthcare providers," said Dr. Santiago Valor, chief medical officer for SYNLAB. "Our goal is to make innovative diagnostic services such as ECS accessible to our customers. We are committed to enhancing healthcare through genetics-based screening that provides valuable information for use in healthcare planning, diagnosis and treatments, and to provide this information in a way that is tailored to each individual's unique genetics."
"When both parents are carriers of the same recessive genetic condition, such as cystic fibrosis or spinal muscular atrophy, they have a one in four chance of having an affected pregnancy. Offering Counsyl’s ECS product in Europe and Latin America will provide more people with important genetic information about serious conditions," said Matthew Meyer, Counsyl’s senior vice president of corporate development. “As a leading diagnostic laboratory service provider with a broad footprint and extensive medical experience, SYNLAB is an ideal international partner for Counsyl.”
About Counsyl
Counsyl provides a DNA testing and genetic counseling service. We're committed to helping patients understand their DNA and how this knowledge 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 750,000 patients and served more than 10,000 healthcare professionals. For more information, visit www.counsyl.com. Sign up to receive Counsyl news notifications at subscribe.counsyl.com.
About SYNLAB
SYNLAB is the leading laboratory diagnostic services provider in Europe. SYNLAB offers a full range of innovative and high quality medical diagnostics for patients, practising doctors, clinics and the pharmaceutical industry. Providing the leading level of service within the industry, SYNLAB is the partner of choice for healthcare professionals. SYNLAB’s services also encompass veterinary and environmental laboratory analysis. SYNLAB has over 13,000 employees and conducts over 450 million laboratory tests per year in more than 30 countries across four continents. More information can be found on www.synlab.com.
