NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Rainbow Genomics said today that it is partnering with Color to provide hereditary cancer and heart health genetic risk assessment tests in Hong Kong.
Rainbow, a preferred partner of Color in Hong Kong, will offer that firm's genetic tests for the analysis of a patient's risk for eight hereditary cancers and four hereditary heart health conditions. The partnership, Rainbow said, will provide a fully integrated solution for actionable clinical test results at an affordable price point, though it did not elaborate.
Patients who express interest in Color's tests will be referred to Rainbow's network of clinics for pre-test consultations. Physicians will also be able to order Color's tests directly from Rainbow. Patient samples will be analyzed at Color's CLIA-certified and CAP-accredited laboratory in California using next-generation sequencing, Rainbow said.
Financial and other terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"Because of the chronic shortage of genetic counselors in the region, coupled with the high cost of traditional cancer genetic tests, many individuals with known risk factors such as a family history simply have not been tested" Rainbow CEO Daniel Siu said in a statement. "This partnership is a significant step in closing that gap and goes a long way to ensuring that anyone can benefit from understanding their genetic risk for hereditary conditions."
The company had earlier said that it planned on partnering with US organizations to provide genetic testing in Asia, with an initial focus on Hong Kong and Japan.
Color announced last week a partnership with the FH Foundation on a study to understand the willingness of individuals with a clinical diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolemia and their family members to undergo confirmatory genetic testing.