MEDIA RELEASE
INEX and BGI EXPAND OFFERING FOR
IGENESCREEN PRENATAL TEST
iGeneScreenTM service will include detection of fetal sex chromosome abnormalities
SINGAPORE, FRIDAY, MAY 17th 2013: INEX Innovations Exchange Private Limited (INEX), a
leading women’s health diagnostics company based in Singapore, and BGI Clinical
Laboratories, the world’s largest genomic sequencing institute today announced that its Non
Invasive Prenatal Test (NIPT) iGeneScreenTM will expand its services to include the detection of
fetal sex chromosome abnormalities.
iGeneScreenTM currently detects Down Syndrome (trisomy 21 or T21), Edwards Syndrome
(trisomy 18 or T18) and Patau Syndrome (trisomy 13 or T13) with more than 99% accuracy.
The expanded service for fetal sex chromosome abnormalities includes the detection for
Turner syndrome (Monosomy X), Klinefelter syndrome (XXY), Triple X (XXX) and Jacobs
syndrome (XYY), the most common fetal sex chromosome abnormalities.
"We are delighted to offer physicians the option to include sex chromosome aneuploidies,
such as Turner and Klinefelter syndromes," said Dr. Sidney Yee, Chief Scientific Director of
INEX. "With this expanded service, physicians will be able to have access to more
comprehensive analysis for the benefit of their patients, aiding in early management and
treatment."
The iGeneScreenTM test is based on the largest study on NIPT to date, with data published in
Prenatal Diagnosis, the official journal of the International Society of Prenatal Diagnosis. The
data is significant because it studied over 11,000 prospective consecutive patients and allcomers including high risk and low risk populations. The test is based on a high level of genetic
sequencing of cell free fetal DNA in maternal plasma to achieve one of the most accurate tests
in NIPT with over 99% accuracy for Down Syndrome, Edwards Syndrome and Patau Syndrome.
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About iGeneScreenTM
iGeneScreenTM is a joint trademark of INEX and BGI Clinical Laboratories. It is a non-invasive
prenatal test to detect fetal chromosomal abnormalities in pregnant women. Developed by
researchers at BGI using a modern genomic sequencing technology called Next Generation
Sequencing (NGS), iGeneScreenTM is a blood test that analyzes fetal DNA in maternal blood to
detect chromosomal abnormalities. It is a non-invasive screening test requiring only a 5ml
blood sample from pregnant women at 12 weeks or later, and it provides more than 99%
accuracy in detecting Trisomy 13 (Patau Syndrome), Trisomy 18 (Edwards Syndrome) and
Trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome). www.igenescreen.com
Fore more information, please contact:
Sidney Yee, PhD
INEX Innovations Exchange Pte Ltd.
Sidney.yee@inex.sg
Vinita Choolani
INEX Innovations Exchange Pte Ltd.
vinita.c@inex.sg