CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GenePeeks, Inc., a computational genomics company focused on transforming genetic disease risk analysis, today announced a new partnership with The World Egg Bank to bring GenePeeks Preconception Screen to even more families around the world. The World Egg Bank, the longest operating egg bank in the US, is a premier egg donation program headquartered in Arizona with affiliates in New York, London and Boston.
“We are thrilled to add The World Egg Bank to our growing list of partners, with its legacy of innovation and outstanding support for intended parents,” said Anne Morriss, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of GenePeeks. “This partnership continues to expand families’ access to our advanced analytics and visibility into the true risk that a prospective child could inherit any one of more than a 1000 serious diseases.”
GenePeeks is The World Egg Bank’s exclusive provider of advanced genetic screening services. Prospective parents using the services of The World Egg Bank may now choose from donors identified as “GenePeeks Ready,” saving significant time in their fertility journey. Completing the GenePeeks Preconception Screen before fertilization will help families better understand their future child’s risk of disease inheritance and provide them with critical genetic risk information to make a more informed donor selection.
“Increasingly, we see growing awareness of genetic disease risk and demand for better safeguards,” said Diana Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of The World Egg Bank. “We have a deep commitment to bring advanced reproductive technologies to our families and are excited to now add GenePeeks Preconception Screen to our suite of services.”
Preconception care and testing for intended parents is a growing global marketplace. According to The World Health Organization (WHO), there is increasing demand for preconception care in both developed and emerging countries. Preconception screening programs are being launched worldwide to help potential parents better understand their risk of a child being born with a genetic disorder.1
About GenePeeks’ Technology
GenePeeks’ comprehensive
approach, called Virtual Progeny Analytics (VPA), uniquely integrates
simulated DNA information from two genetic participants to predict the
future genome of a child prior to conception. For every mutation in
these hypothetical genomes, the company computes a proprietary Variant
Gene Dysfunction (VGD) score that predicts gene function and associated
disease risk. This next generation approach allows GenePeeks to cover an
expanded number of diseases with increased sensitivity and evaluate
variants that may remain uncharacterized by other genetic tests, while
avoiding the confusion and anxiety that can be associated with carrier
testing. In contrast to carrier screening, which identifies parental
carrier status, GenePeeks focuses on a future child’s true risk of
disease inheritance. GenePeeks offers this physician-ordered service
through its CLIA certified clinical laboratory.
About GenePeeks
GenePeeks is a computational genomics
company focused on identifying inherited disease risk in future
generations. GenePeeks’ patented technology digitally combines the
genetic information of two potential parents, simulating the complex
genetic interactions that occur naturally in human reproduction. The
company’s proprietary platform creates and analyzes thousands of Virtual
Progeny to uncover disease risk that cannot be seen with alternative
screening tools. GenePeeks offers this physician-ordered service through
its CLIA certified clinical laboratory.
GenePeeks is privately held, with corporate offices in Cambridge, Mass. For more information, visit www.genepeeks.com
GenePeeks’ next-generation screening technology is available today. For more information about becoming a partner, please contact support@genepeeks.com
About The World Egg Bank
As the highly sought-after, first
egg bank, The World Egg Bank (TWEB) is the premier center for egg
vitrification. TWEB sets high industry standards for egg quality and in
cultivating close relationships with egg donors, recipients, and clinics
both domestically and internationally. TWEB’s singular focus on egg
donation, operating out of a state of the art facility, has proven to
further improve egg quality. By providing and maintaining quality
controlled monitoring, procedures, and environment, The World Egg Bank
has a record of high pregnancy rates supported by a large body of
pregnancy data from clinics, large or small, around the world. TWEB’s
expanded donor roster includes over 400 donors and currently holds
thousands of frozen eggs available for immediate shipment. The World Egg
Bank, headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, is able to support egg donors,
recipients, and clinics no matter the distance. For more information,
visit www.theworldeggbank.com/
1Saffi M, Howard N, Exploring the Effectiveness of Mandatory Premarital Screening and Genetic Counselling Programmes for β-Thalassaemia in the Middle East: A Scoping Review. Public Health Genomics 2015; 18:193-203.
