KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Genomind – a leading mental health care company – today announced that its flagship pharmacogenetic product, Genomind Professional PGx™, is now available to patients through their health care providers. Genomind Professional PGx provides personalized analytics on patient-specific genetic markers. This information helps indicate which medications or other treatment options, for more than 11 mental health conditions, are better suited for a patient based on his or her genetics.
As one in five Americans struggle with a mental health condition, treatment costs are expected to soar in the coming years.3 Genomind Professional PGx is designed to reduce the burden on the health care system and improve results for patients by cutting down on the ‘trial and error’ of mental health medication selection.
“The Genomind test allows me to better understand the precise, individual needs of my patients, which helps me be a better doctor,” said Violina Frenkel, MD, psychiatrist at Integrative Behavioral Care and vice chair, chief of Clinical Psychiatry at Overlook Medical Center in Summit, New Jersey. “I’ve used the Genomind test regularly in our practice for many years and it is a very important component of my clinical assessment because it provides objective, clear, and personalized data that can play an integral role in my treatment decisions. Whether my patients are medication-naïve or struggling for an extended period of time, the Genomind test provides data to help my patients start a treatment regimen more likely to work for them.”
Genomind Professional PGx is a genetic test, obtained via a safe and painless cheek swab, that analyzes 24 pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic genes. Genomind researchers selected the genes for inclusion on the panel based on guidelines from expert consortia, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) product labels, and hundreds of peer-reviewed studies. The results include the therapeutic and clinical implications of these genes for 130 FDA-approved medications for conditions including:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Autism
- Schizophrenia
- Chronic pain
- Bipolar disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Substance abuse
“If anyone is a good example of how the test can help, it’s me. I am dealing with both bipolar 1 and fibromyalgia, battling both disease issues and medication interactions. I could have gone around and around trying different medications and combinations, and my life could have been miserable for years,” said Brandon B.* a patient from Greater Philadelphia whose doctor prescribed the Genomind test. “With Genomind’s test, we found a list of approved medications that could and should provide better results. And they did. I felt better enough to return to work, to enjoy my family, and to get back to life! To me, using this test to help your mental health treatment is a no-brainer. It can save time, money, and angst on appointments and medications that aren’t likely to work for you because of the way you’re hard-wired.”
With each test, Genomind provides free consultations with its expert pharmacists or PhDs to review the patient-specific technical and scientific insights provided by the assay. Genomind tests each sample twice to maintain a 99.9% accuracy, while providing one of the industry’s fastest turnaround times of three days from the time the lab receives the sample. Genomind’s advanced lab has the highest level of accreditations, meeting Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA), College of American Pathologists (CAP), and New York State Department of Health standards.
“Mental health is the third-largest burden on our health care system and is expected to be the biggest burden on our health care system in the next decade. In addition, despite more and more prescriptions being written, suicide rates in children and young adults continue to climb. We are determined to be part of the solution,” said Shawn Patrick O’Brien, Chief Executive Officer at Genomind Inc.4 “Genomind Professional PGx is a critical part of the evolution of mental health that we’re just starting to see and help lead. With the right tools to provide personalized treatment decisions, clinicians and patients may be able to reduce the trial and error process that often accompanies medication selection for mental health care and treatment.”
A recent study published in the journal Depression and Anxiety showed that patients whose clinicians incorporated Genomind’s test to help personalize treatment decisions experienced fewer emergency room visits and hospitalizations, along with significant cost savings. Compared to similar patients who did not use pharmacogenomic testing, patients using Genomind’s test demonstrated:
- 40% fewer emergency room visits
- 58% fewer in-patient hospitalizations
- An estimated $1,948 cost reduction over six months post-testing
Clinicians interested in using Genomind Professional PGx in their practice can contact Genomind through genomind.com. Patients interested in accessing the test can do so through their mental health provider. Genomind can provide a list of participating providers at start.genomind.com or call Genomind customer service: 877-895-8658.
*Patient’s last name withheld to protect privacy
About Genomind
Genomind is a leading mental health care company, delivering the genetic testing tools that empower clinicians to optimize treatment decisions and create better outcomes for patients with mental illnesses. As the scientific leader in genetic testing, Genomind’s flagship offering is Genomind Professional PGx™ – the most comprehensive mental health genetic service available. Supported by a world-class genetics lab and unique consultative approach, Genomind is advancing a new paradigm of personalized medicine in mental health care. Learn more at www.genomind.com.
1 Perlis R et al. Pharmacogenetic testing among patients with
mood and anxiety disorders is associated with decreased utilization and
cost: A propensity‐score matched study. Depression and Anxiety, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.22742
2
BrennanFX, GardnerKR, LombardJ, PerlisRH, FavaM, HarrisHW, ScottR. Prim
Care Companion CNS Disord. 2015 Apr 16;17(2). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26445691
3
NIMH Report: Mental
Health by the Numbers
4 National
Alliance on Mental Illness: Mental Health Facts in America
