Invitae introduces new service to make it easier for consumers to receive the medical genetic testing that experts trust

SAN FRANCISCO, June 3, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Invitae (NYSE: NVTA), a leader in medical genetics, today announced the availability of its new service for consumers, which makes it easier for consumers to order and receive the same high-quality, medical genetic testing from Invitae that experts use and trust. The service provides affordable testing along with guidance from a network of trained clinicians to help consumers get health information they can act on. The company made the announcement at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago.

"Even as availability of recreational genetic tests has exploded, the roadblocks to getting medical genetic testing that can be used to make health decisions remain. Our intent is to create a new, medically responsible model that makes it easier for consumers to get reliable genetic information they and their clinicians can use," said Robert Nussbaum, M.D., chief medical officer of Invitae. "Since its inception, Invitae has been focused on integrating genetics into mainstream medical care by making genetic testing more affordable and accessible. This new service is the next step in our mission."

A new model for providing genetic health information

Health reports from ancestry testing services are designed to be easy to obtain but have significant limitations and require confirmation testing with a medical-grade test. A recent survey conducted by Invitae found consumers may be beginning to understand those limitations, with a majority (52%) saying that medical genetic testing is preferable to DTC testing.¹ Yet a lack of local genetics providers, long wait times for specialized genetic services, the traditionally high cost of testing, and restrictive testing guidelines and payer policies make it much more difficult to get medical-grade testing.

Invitae's service is a new model for providing genetic information by combining high-quality, expert genetic testing with telemedicine-enabled clinical guidance and the ability to share results reports with a consumer's personal physician. Clinical services are provided through partnerships with well-established telemedicine providers PWN Health and Genome Medical. Invitae's tests do not need the type of confirmatory testing DTC tests require.

"Other companies are providing tests with limited information, and that require a follow up medical test. They eliminate the clinician and provide answers that can only be acted on if the result is confirmed by valid medical testing, such as the tests offered by Invitae," said Dr. Nussbaum. "We are giving consumers ease of access, but with confidence in the accuracy and completeness of the testing as well as full clinical support throughout."

Easy-to-use service provides comprehensive genetic information

The new service allows consumers to initiate and order themselves, and then be paired with a trained, independent clinician who reviews health history and determines the medical appropriateness of their test. Once results are available, the service provides support on next steps, including genetic counseling as appropriate, and also makes it easy for consumers to share their results directly with their personal physician.

"Approximately 16 percent of the population has a genetic change that could impact their health," said Sean George, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Invitae. "For something that's so important and fundamental to an individual's health and wellness, genetic testing is underutilized in healthcare. Our goal is to help change that."

The new online service offers broad, expert-curated medical testing across a wide array of health conditions, including nearly all of the company's test menu. Test results are suitable for making health decisions in collaboration with a clinician.

• Proactive testing: Proactive genetic testing offers healthy adults without a strong personal or family history of disease an opportunity to learn about how their genes could potentially impact their health. Invitae offers three tests that provide information on well-established genetic risk factors for developing hereditary cancers, cardiovascular conditions and other medically important disorders.
• Carrier screening: Carrier screening identifies genetic changes that could be passed on to a biological child that may result in genetic disease, and is recommended for women to assess their risk. Through the new service, Invitae offers its expanded carrier screening that screens women and their partners.
• Diagnostic testing: Invitae's diagnostic menu covers a wide array of neurological, metabolic, immunologic, cardiovascular, oncologic and other genetic conditions, offering testing that provides a better understanding of diagnosis and prognosis, supports family genetic counseling, helps tailor treatment and can determine eligibility for clinical trials. Any patient seeking testing is paired with a genetic counselor from the outset for pre-test and post-test counseling and discussion of next steps.

Cost of testing ranges between $250-$350. Diagnostic testing and associated genetic counseling may be covered by insurance.

The new service is available immediately by visiting invitae.com.

As part of its commitment to make it easier for patients to access testing, Invitae will be donating tests to patient advocacy groups. People who order testing through the new service during the month of June can do so via dedicated URLs that result in matching test donations to participating advocacy groups, including breast cancer advocacy groups Bright Pink and Nothing Pink, and rare disease groups FIGHT vEDS and the FOD (Fatty Oxidation Disorders) Family Support Group.

About Invitae
Invitae Corporation (NYSE: NVTA) is a leading medical genetics company whose mission is to bring comprehensive genetic information into mainstream medicine to improve healthcare for billions of people. Invitae's goal is to aggregate the world's genetic tests into a single service with higher quality, faster turnaround time, and lower prices. For more information, visit the company's website at invitae.com.

Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements relating to the features and benefits of the company's new service, including that the new service makes it easier for consumers to order and receive high-quality medical genetic testing; that consumers may be beginning to understand the limitations of DTC testing and prefer medical genetic testing; and the company's plans to donate tests to advocacy groups. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the company's history of losses; the company's ability to compete; the company's failure to manage growth effectively; the company's need to scale its infrastructure in advance of demand for its tests and to increase demand for its tests; the company's ability to use rapidly changing genetic data to interpret test results accurately and consistently; security breaches, loss of data and other disruptions; laws and regulations applicable to the company's business; and the other risks set forth in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the risks set forth in the company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2019. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and Invitae Corporation disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Contact:
Laura D'Angelo
[email protected]
(628) 213-3283

SOURCE Invitae Corporation

Related Links

http://invitae.com

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