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Good Start Genetics, IviGen and iGenomix Announce Exclusive Relationship in Reproductive Testing
[December 10, 2014]

Good Start Genetics, IviGen and iGenomix Announce Exclusive Relationship in Reproductive Testing


Good Start Genetics®, Inc., a commercial-stage molecular genetic information company, IviGen LLC®, and its parent company iGenomix®, providers of advanced services in reproductive genetics, today announced an exclusive relationship to bring a breadth of advanced offerings in reproductive genetics to the reproductive health community. The relationship brings together a suite of leading products for in vitro fertilization (IVF) specialists and the broader women's health community, including obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) and maternal fetal medicine (MFM) physicians, across the US and Canada. The agreement also lays the foundation for future collaboration in the development and global distribution of additional advanced reproductive health products.

"Our relationship with IviGen and iGenomix, and the addition of their leading, genetics-based reproductive products, represents a transformative step in establishing Good Start as a comprehensive, reproductive health company, serving the needs of a broad range of IVF, MFM and OBGYN physicians," stated Don Hardison, president and chief executive officer of Good Start Genetics. "IviGen has rigorously developed a set of high-quality, state of the art technologies already in use by leading IVF centers across the U.S. We are honored to be working with IviGen and iGenomix, and look forward to a long, productive and prosperous relationship."

The relationship complements Good Start's premier carrier screening offering, GoodStart Select™, with the following advanced, genetics-based reproductive health products developed by IviGen and iGenomix to manage many of the challenges of infertility:

  • Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). PGD is a test performed in conjunction with IVF treatment to identify single gene disorders among embryos produced by couples who are at risk of having a child with a particular genetic disease. PGD can be used to selectively transfer healthy embryos to reduce the risk of a particular disorder being passed onto a child
  • Preimplantation genetic screening (PGS). PGS is a test performed in conjunction with IVF to screen embryos for chromosomal abnormalities. Studies have suggested that PGS can improve IVF pregnancy rates by helping clinicians identify the most viable embryos prior to embryo transfer.
  • Products of conception (POC) testing. POC testin evaluates tissue from a pregnancy loss for chromosome abnormalities in order to help determine cause of the miscarriage. Results from POC testing can help patients and caregivers evaluate future reproductive care options.
  • Endometrial receptivity array (ERA®). ERA® evaluates the expression of a group of genes related to endometrial receptivity to determine the optimal timing for embryo transfer and implantation. Studies have suggested that ERA® may be able to improve reproductive success for some couples, by identifying the optimal, personalized time for embryo transfer.
  • Sperm aneupoloidy test (SAT). SAT is a genetic test that determines whether there is an increased incidence of significant chromosome abnormalities in sperm. Results from SAT can help patients and caregivers evaluate future reproductive care options.



"Our mission is to become the leading provider of genetic testing services to the reproductive health community and this agreement represents a great opportunity for us to work with one of the most advanced teams in the world in relation to genetic solutions based on next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS)," said David Jimenez, chief executive officer of IviGen and iGenomix. "We greatly respect the scientific rigor and commercial expertise of Good Start Genetics, and are pleased to be collaborating with them to expand our commercial footprint and potentially to develop additional solutions for our customers. We look forward to the exciting things our two organizations can do together, leveraging our large scientific knowhow in the infertility field with more than 360 international publications,1 and Good Start's leading position in NGS technology."

About GoodStart Select


GoodStart Select is Good Start Genetics' menu of genetic carrier screening tests that, for diseases such as cystic fibrosis, detects many more disease-causing mutations than traditional genotyping- based screening tests, regardless of patient ethnicity. The product of years of development and rigorous validation, GoodStart Select includes a suite of proprietary technologies, processes and algorithms designed to harness the power of next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS), to provide highly accurate and actionable tests resulting in higher mutation detection rates and fewer missed carriers.

To support its genetic carrier screening capabilities, Good Start Genetics has a dedicated team of customer care specialists and board certified genetic counselors who provide step-by-step support, from test selection through results, analysis and reporting. Good Start Genetics seeks to enable reproductive health specialists and their patients to have the highest degree of confidence in their genetic carrier screening results.

About Good Start Genetics, Inc.

Good Start Genetics is a commercial-stage molecular genetic information company focused on fundamentally transforming the standard of care in reproductive medicine by providing physicians and their patients with clinically relevant and actionable information concerning inherited genetic disorders. Good Start Genetics' powerful, proprietary next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) capabilities are supplemented by other proven genetic screening technologies and supported by its commitment to customer care and genetic counseling. Through GoodStart Select, the company provides a comprehensive and clinically actionable menu of genetic carrier screening tests for known and novel mutations that cause inherited genetic disorders. For more information, please visit www.goodstartgenetics.com.

About IviGen

IviGen provides advanced genetic diagnostic services to help couples build healthy families. IviGen's goal is patient and clinic satisfaction. The company provides superior genetic services that help to improve clinical results: PGS, PGD, ERA®, POC and Sperm Aneuploidy Test. IviGen is the affiliate of iGenomix in the US. For more information, please visit www.ivigen.com.

About iGenomix

iGenomix has broad experience in genetic and molecular diagnosis and is one of the world's leaders in these techniques with affiliates and labs in Brazil, USA, Spain, United Arab Emirates and India. Igenomix's efforts in R&D enable the company to create and develop specific proprietary tools to support professionals in the reproductive medicine field. iGenomix offers services such as PGS, PGD, ERA®, POC, CGT (Compatibility Genetic Test) and NACE (Non-Invasive Chromosomal Examination). For more information, please visit www.igenomix.com.

1 At ISI (News - Alert) Web of Knowledge (http://apps.isiknowledge.com) iGenomix, through Prof. Carlos Simón, is author of 367 publications with an accumulated impact factor of 1,592.265, all publications add up a total of 11,966 cites with an average of 32.60 citations/publications.


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