Counsyl’s New Expanded Inherited Cancer Screen Allows Clinicians to Identify Women at Elevated Cancer Risk Who Would have Otherwise Been Missed

Customizable 22-gene cancer panel, on-demand counseling, and
streamlined workflow enable clinicians to test and identify more at-risk
patients and provide better preventive care

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Counsyl,
a health technology company that offers DNA screening for diseases that
can impact women, men, and their children, has expanded its Inherited
Cancer Screen and is making hereditary cancer screening broadly
accessible to all at-risk patients, not just those who meet strict
eligibility guidelines or can afford expensive testing. The Counsyl
Inherited Cancer Screen offers a 22-gene panel associated with
significant cancer risks and backed by guidelines for those who test
positive, leading to actionable information. Counsyl’s commitment to
accessible, high-quality testing paired with on-demand genetic
counseling and workflow tools allows clinicians to provide important,
potentially life-saving preventive care to more people.

Counsyl’s expanded cancer screen comes at a time when more researchers
are questioning the value of waiting until a cancer diagnosis to offer
screening. Studies indicate that more than 70% of BRCA carriers with
ovarian cancer would not have qualified for genetic testing before their
diagnosis. “That’s a huge miss,” said Ramji Srinivasan, co-founder and
CEO at Counsyl. “Many women only learn their genetic status after a
diagnosis because they didn’t fall within a narrow set of risk
guidelines, notes Srinivasan. “A woman should not have to be diagnosed
with a deadly cancer in order to access information that could have
saved her life.”

Last year Dr. Mary-Clare King, Lasker Award Winner and discoverer of the
BRCA1 mutation, asserted that all women should be offered inherited
cancer screening in their childbearing years. This was based on research
that demonstrated that 50% of BRCA carriers do not have sufficient
family history to qualify for testing. Counsyl’s screening includes
BRCA1 and BRCA2, as well as other critical genes associated with breast,
ovarian and gynecological cancers. The 22-gene panel also looks at genes
associated with Lynch syndrome, another often overlooked hereditary
cause of ovarian, colon and endometrial cancers. A positive result for
any of the genes analyzed provides patients and doctors with clinically
actionable information that can be used to develop a personalized cancer
prevention program.

Counsyl estimates 25 people everyday are diagnosed with a BRCA or Lynch
syndrome cancer who did not learn of their carrier status until
diagnosis. “In my practice, I can now offer an affordable screening
option to women at risk of developing cancer who previously didn’t have
access,” said Dr. Genevieve Fairbrother, an obstetrician practicing in
Atlanta. (OBGYN of Atlanta)

In keeping with Counsyl’s commitment to high-quality patient care,
Counsyl includes with each Inherited Cancer Screen a consultation with a
board-certified genetic counselor who is available on-demand, giving
patients instant access to experts rather than making them wait days or
weeks to schedule an appointment. The counseling team — which is
comprised of experienced genetic counselors with an average of 8 years
of clinical experience before joining Counsyl — has engaged in over
10,000 hours of sessions to date. The genetic counselors help explain
the results and provide guidance on next steps in conjunction with the
patient’s physician.

“We recognize that patients want their physicians involved in such
personal decisions about their health, and we do everything we can to
make sure the ordering physician is kept abreast of conversations
between their patient and our genetic counselor,” said Dr. Jim Goldberg,
Chief Medical Officer at Counsyl.

In addition to the Inherited Cancer Screen, Counsyl offers two other
types of genetic screens, all of which require a doctor’s involvement.
The Family
Prep Screen looks at parents DNA for serious inherited diseases that
they can unknowingly pass on to their future children. With access to
this information, couples can better prepare as they look to grow their
family. The Informed
Pregnancy Screen provides early insight into a baby’s genetic
development using non-invasive methods and can be performed in the first
trimester.

For more information on Counsyl, please visit www.counsyl.com.

About Counsyl:

Counsyl is a health technology company that offers DNA screening for
women, men, and their children. Their philosophy is simple: focus on
diseases where advanced knowledge makes a difference in health outcomes,
whether it’s changing a behavior, pursuing preventative measures, or
simply preparing for what lies ahead.

The Counsyl team includes an accomplished group of problem-solvers — top
engineers, scientists, and designers — who are taking the lead on
building the modern clinical laboratory. By using automation technology
and software to reimagine the clinical lab, Counsyl has unlocked a
scalable platform that generates more meaningful health insights for a
fraction of the cost at industry-leading speed. Counsyl pairs this high
tech approach with a high touch solution for delivering test results:
patient reports created with a design sensibility, and supplemented with
a genetic counseling service that rivals the top 10 US hospitals.

Counsyl has screened more than 450,000 patients and served over 8000
health care professionals in its CLIA-certified, CAP-accredited and NYS
CLEP-permitted clinical laboratory. From the purely mechanical to the
profoundly human, Counsyl strives to make DNA screening truly accessible
to everyone.

Contacts

Allison+Partners, for Counsyl
Linda Vejnoska, 415-875-3043
counsyl@allisonpr.com