NEW YORK – Foundation Medicine announced Tuesday that it has partnered with InformedDNA to provide expanded access to genetic counseling and confirmatory genetic testing to patients with potential inherited cancer gene mutations.
Under the deal, patients who undergo Foundation's comprehensive genomic profiling tests and receive results showing potential inherited cancer gene variants will be able to be referred by physicians to InformedDNA's genetic counseling services and confirmatory genetic testing. Foundation's tests evaluate more than 300 cancer-related genes and highlights potential germline variants to physicians so they can determine whether genetic counseling and confirmatory testing is necessary.
If confirmatory testing is needed, InformedDNA genetic counselors will guide patients to determine the appropriate test and understand the benefits, risks, and implications of testing, Foundation Medicine said in a statement.
The Roche subsidiary added that the partnership can help advanced cancer patients and clinicians to "navigate the appropriate genetic counseling and confirmatory testing resources available to them should they choose to leverage them to inform treatment plans."
"Many physicians and health systems do not have a referral process in place or access to internal genetic counseling services and confirmatory germline testing," Foundation CMO Brian Alexander said. "Further, given the broader implications of this information, responsible communication from a genetic counselor is critical."
Rebecca Sutphen, the cofounder and CMO of InformedDNA, added that the collaboration "aims to make genetic counseling and confirmatory testing more accessible to US patients with potential germline mutations, helping to ensure that physicians have the information needed to develop personalized cancer treatment plans for their patients and implement preventive measures for their families."