MEDIA RELEASE
INEX EXPANDS OFFERING FOR iGENESCREEN™
PRENATAL TEST IN MALAYSIA
iGeneScreenTM service will include detection of fetal sex chromosome abnormalities
KUALA LUMPER, FRIDAY, MAY 31st 2013: INEX Innovations Exchange Private Limited (INEX), a
leading women’s health diagnostics company based in Singapore, today announced that its
Non Invasive Prenatal Test (NIPT) iGeneScreenTM will expand its services in Malaysia 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.
iGeneScreenTM is currently available in Malaysia through a distribution agreement with
Quantum Diagnostics, part of the Lab Asia and MedLab Asia Group with laboratory operations
spanning Malaysia and Singapore.
"We are rolling out new collection centres across all major cities and towns in Malaysia to
meet the anticipated demand for the test. Doctors in major city hospitals such as KPJ Hospital
and Prince Court are already ordering the test for their patients," said Dr. Christopher Ting,
CEO of Quantum Diagnostics. Quantum main laboratory is located in Wisma Kemajuan,
Petaling Jaya. A second satellite laboratory is located at University Malaya Specialist Centre
(UMSC).
"We are delighted to offer Malaysian 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.
---------------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 ore 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. M: 81386163
Sidney.yee@inex.sg
Vinita Choolani
INEX Innovations Exchange Pte Ltd. M: 93809780
vinita.c@inex.sg