MCLEAN, Va., March 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Perthera, Inc. announced today that they have successfully integrated germline genomic panel testing into its Precision Cancer Analysis (PCA), which provides cancer patients and their health care team a complete and integrated analysis plus appropriate recommendations. The PCA is Perthera’s proprietary system for integrating biological, computational and human expertise and technology to create a platform that enables a precision medicine strategy, based on the premise that each patient’s cancer is unique and their treatment should be unique as well. Germline genomic analysis, which Perthera began evaluating in September 2016, gives patients with cancer the option to know if they inherited one of the known cancer predisposition syndromes, and provides added information that can help in the selection of therapies to subpopulations of patients with cancer. This testing is available to all Perthera patients through a partnership with Counsyl, a health technology company that offers DNA screening and genetic counseling .

“The addition of germline genomic testing is consistent with our multi-omic approach to the biological analysis of cancers,” said Perthera president and CEO Andrew Mignatti.  “There is a great deal of reliance placed on genomic testing, which analyzes the patient tumor DNA, but that isn’t enough,” Mignatti said. “There are several tests that, when used in combination, can provide what amounts to a complete understanding of a patient’s cancer, but no single test by itself can provide that same degree of understanding to bring to the treatment strategy,” he said.

Mignatti stated that every positively diagnosed cancer patient that wishes to have germline genomic testing (inherited genomic testing) could have it within Perthera’s process. The testing is done with a saliva kit shipped via FedEx and is sent to the lab the same way. Counsyl quotes a 2-week turnaround time for screening.

“Patients who educate themselves about the complexities of precision medicine are incredibly grateful that we offer germline testing through our PCA process,” stated Kimberly Mason, Perthera’s Director of Operations.

Counsyl’s Inherited Cancer Screen analyzes up to 36 genes associated with hereditary cancers in women and men. Knowing this information not only allows the patient to inform at-risk family members to consider their own testing in the context of appropriate genetic counseling, but what is important for the cancer patient is that this knowledge increasingly helps in the study of which genetic changes are true drivers of cancer formation and progression and thus which therapeutic option may be most relevant for each patient.

ABOUT PERTHERA, INC.:  Perthera is a founder- and growth fund-backed company founded in 2012 and based in McLean, VA, that has touched thousands of lives by providing precision medicine benefits to cancer patients, their loved ones, and the entire cancer care ecosystem.  Perthera leverages biological, computational, and human information and expertise, through a growing family of integrated products and services often using the company’s own proprietary technology, systems, and data.

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