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GeneDx Expands Commercial Footprint for Exome and Genome Testing with Cerebral Palsy as a New Indication
GeneDx Recognizes Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month with Commitment to Improve Access to Testing GAITHERSBURG, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- GeneDx (Nasdaq: WGS), a
About this update from Genedx Holdings Corp.
[{"type":"text","content":"\nGeneDx Recognizes Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month with Commitment to Improve Access to Testing\n\n GAITHERSBURG, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--\nGeneDx (Nasdaq: WGS), a leader in delivering improved health outcomes through genomic insights, announced today an indication expansion for its industry leading genetic testing to now include cerebral palsy (CP). In conjunction with Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, the company is expanding its strategy of focusing on pediatric rare disease patients to now include offering testing for pediatric patients with CP. This strategic indication expansion underscores the importance of improving access to exome and genome testing for patients with CP to shorten the diagnostic odyssey and accelerate the path to treatment.\n\nGeneDx underscores its commitment to improving patient care by shortening the diagnostic odyssey and accelerating the path to treatment—the most impactful way to support individuals with CP and their families.\n\nAs one of the most common childhood disabilities, each year approximately 10,000 children are diagnosed with CP.1,2 Historically, birth-related issues such as asphyxia and birth trauma have been seen as the primary causes; however, recent research done in collaboration with GeneDx shows there are approximately 300 genes associated with CP, and in nearly 1 in 3 CP patients, a genetic condition is identified as the underlying cause.3,4 A genetic diagnosis has been shown to guide a more tailored approach for medical management, reduce healthcare costs, and improve access to clinical trials. 5\n\n“More cases of CP may be due to genetic causes than to birth-related injuries6,” said Michael Kruer, MD, Director of the Pediatric Movement Disorders Program at Phoenix Children’s. “Furthermore, our analyses have shown that more than 1 in 4 genetic forms of CP are clinically actionable7, meaning that detecting a causative gene would be anticipated to change that patient’s treatment right now. As gene-targeted therapies continue to grow, that proportion is only expected to increase.”\n\nGeneDx’s industry leading exome and genome empower clinicians with comprehensive genetic insights to uncover genetic factors contributing to CP. The testing provides valuable information that can guide personalized treatment and management strategies, including helping to identify potential eligibility for...