Yourgene Genomic Services collaboration with Cytox
Manchester, UK – 21 October 2020: Yourgene Health (AIM: YGEN), a leading international molecular diagnostics group, announces a new collaboration between the recently launched Yourgene Genomic Services (“YGS”) and Cytox Ltd (“Cytox”), for a beta-testing genomic study on their genetic risk test for Alzheimer’s disease (“AD”).
Under the YGS offering, Yourgene Health will validate and verify the performance of the Cytox genoSCORE-LAB1 process for both whole blood and saliva samples, to ensure the robust and reproducible detection of genotypes necessary to calculate individual polygenic risk scoring (“PRS”).
YGS was launched recently to bring together a number of Yourgene's core capabilities, creating a service business that supports partners at the preclinical, clinical and post-market stages as they develop, manufacture, obtain regulatory approval and commercialise new products and services. Cytox specialises in developing and commercialising PRS algorithms to characterise an individual’s genetic risk for developing AD. Both parties are exploring a potential partnership to provide genoSCORE as a clinical testing service from Yourgene’s UK laboratory in Manchester next year once Cytox have formally launched the test.
Lyn Rees, CEO of Yourgene Health plc, commented: “This is an exciting partnership for Yourgene Genomic Services and a fine example of our ever-increasing product and service offering. We already have a well-established relationship with Cytox and are looking forward to working with them on this progressive technology. I look forward to updating shareholders in the near future.”
Dr. Richard Pither, CEO of Cytox, commented: “In Europe there are an estimated 1.6 million new cases of dementia each year, of which 800,000 are Alzheimer’s disease. As part of the disease management pathway, we anticipate clinicians adopting genoSCORE-LAB not only as an early test for patients concerned about future AD risk, but also to provide additional insight into potential disease progression in existing patients. We look forward to working with the Yourgene team on this initial Beta testing study ahead of our product launch.”
1genoSCORE™-LAB – genetic test to predict future risk of developing AD. The test, which uses a simple blood or saliva sample, analyses patient genotypes against an array of about 114,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that have been associated with AD. As such, the test generates a patient-specific PRS.
Yourgene Health plc
Lyn Rees, Chief Executive Officer
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About Yourgene Health
Yourgene Health is an international molecular diagnostics group which develops and commercialises genetic products and services. The group works in partnership with global leaders in DNA technology to advance diagnostic science.
Yourgene develops and commercialises simple and accurate molecular diagnostic solutions, for reproductive health and precision medicine. The Group’s products include non-invasive prenatal tests (NIPT) for Down’s Syndrome and other genetic disorders, Cystic Fibrosis screening tests, invasive rapid aneuploidy tests, male infertility tests and genetic disease tests. Yourgene’s commercial footprint is already established in the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
Our product development, research service and commercial capabilities extend across the lifecycle of genetic test development including regulatory submissions. Through our technical expertise and partnerships, Yourgene Health is also extending its genetic testing offering into oncology.
Yourgene Health is headquartered in Manchester, UK with offices in Taipei and Singapore, and is listed on the London Stock Exchange's AIM market under the ticker "YGEN". For more information visit www.yourgene-health.com and follow us on twitter @Yourgene_Health.
About Cytox (www.cytoxgroup.com)
Without new drug therapies, the economic and healthcare cost burden of dementia - including Alzheimer's disease - is estimated to exceed $1tn per year in the next decade1. Alzheimer’s – a highly complex disease with risk factors based in genetics, lifestyle, age, and environment – has seen no new approved drug therapy since 2003; and clinical trial failure rates run at 99.6%. Cytox’s products genoSCORETM and genoTORTM use Polygenic Risk Scoring (PRS) to improve clinical trial outcomes through patient stratification and the genetic characterisation of Alzheimer’s disease.
Reference:
1. World Alzheimer’s Report 2015 www.alz.co.uk/research/WorldAlzheimerReport2015.pdf
