Twist Teams Up with MedGenome in India to Diagnose Rare Diseases

▴ Twist Bioscience Corporation
HOPE for Rare Diseases Program provides access to genome sequencing tests for underprivileged patients.

National, September 26, 2024: To address the rare disease burden in India, MedGenome, a leading global genomics-driven diagnostics and research services company is partnering with Twist Bioscience, a leading and rapidly growing synthetic biology and genomics company based in the U.S., to establish the HOPE for Rare Diseases Program in India. Within the program, discounted whole exome sequencing is provided to the patients from economically disadvantaged families (with necessary documentation) and is a time limited program.

 

This collaboration coincides with MedGenome’s commemoration of a decade of pioneering genomics advancements in India. With this partnership, MedGenome reaffirms its commitment to democratize access to quality and affordable genetic solutions for all sections of society. MedGenome will continue to be guided by its vision to enhance healthcare affordability and accessibility and focus on its mission to leverage genomics to address the huge unmet need across emerging markets.

 

Twist Bioscience is deploying the Twist Exome 2.0 to support this mission1. Designed to enable researchers to detect rare and inherited diseases, as well as germline cancers, supporting researchers and clinicians in their ability to collect quality data with less sequencing.

 

The partnership between MedGenome and Twist Bioscience is to bring this technology to economically disadvantaged people in the world, providing the genetic information they need to end their diagnostic odysseys and help clinicians pursue the management and treatment of the disease.

 

Although this technology has been available for over a decade, it has not gained significant traction due to its cost, limited awareness, and the lack of insurance coverage, as healthcare in India remains an out-of-pocket expense. The HOPE for Rare Diseases program, established in August 2024 aims to address this issue and provide whole exome sequencing for impoverished rare disease patients.

Rare genetic diseases are far from rare. By definition, each individual disease affects fewer than 200,000 people; however, there are more than 7,000 of these often-debilitating conditions. In the U.S., around 25 million people are affected. In India, this number is even higher, at least 70 million, many of them children.

 

People contending with rare diseases often face lengthy odysseys as clinicians try to find a diagnosis. While the symptoms are often obvious, clinicians may not have the precise tools to identify the exact disease, its underlying causes or potential treatments. This uncertainty can go on for months or even years.

Genomic sequencing has helped address this challenge for clinicians. Whole exome sequencing focuses on protein-coding genes (the exome), to find the genetic variants that may be causing each patient’s specific condition, information that could suggest potential management and treatment options.

 

1Twist Exome 2.0 is for Research Use Only. For additional information, please visit www.twistbioscience.com

 

About MedGenome:

MedGenome is a leading global genomics-driven diagnostics and research services company with a mission to improve global health by decoding the genetic information contained in an individual's genome. It provides data driven insights at the genetic and molecular level to diagnose complex diseases and facilitate research in precision medicine. MedGenome is the market leader for genetic testing in India offering over 1,300 high-end genetic tests across major disease categories - Oncology, Inherited diseases, Reproductive Diseases, Infectious Disease and Preventive Wellness. Genessense, MedGenome’s direct-to-consumer division, launched in 2021 provides tests in the preventive wellness category which help understand an individual’s genetic susceptibility to various lifestyle diseases. The company over the last decade has sequenced over 350,000 exomes and genomes, built a network of over 5,000 hospitals and more than 15,000 clinicians across India, set up the largest database of South Asian genetic variants and is a founding member of GenomeAsia 100K, an initiative to sequence 100,000 South Asian genomes.  MedGenome has a global presence with the largest CAP-accredited genetic testing laboratory in South Asia, a high-throughput Next-Generation Sequencing lab in Foster City, California and operates across the US, India, Singapore and Africa. To learn more, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

 

About Twist Bioscience Corporation

Twist Bioscience is a leading and rapidly growing synthetic biology and genomics company that has developed a disruptive DNA synthesis platform to industrialize the engineering of biology. The core of the platform is a proprietary technology that pioneers a new method of manufacturing synthetic DNA by “writing” DNA on a silicon chip. Twist is leveraging its unique technology to manufacture a broad range of synthetic DNA-based products, including synthetic genes, tools for next-generation sequencing (NGS) preparation, and antibody libraries for drug discovery and development. Twist is also pursuing longer-term opportunities in digital data storage in DNA and biologics drug discovery. Twist makes products for use across many industries including healthcare, industrial chemicals, agriculture and academic research.

 

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Twist Bioscience Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained herein are forward-looking statements reflecting the current beliefs and expectations of management made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including but not limited to, the ability of this technology to provide sufficient genetic information to end the need for additional diagnostic testing and inform management and treatment decisions, the success rate of the HOPE for Rare Diseases program . Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other important factors that may cause Twist Bioscience’s actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the ability to attract new customers and retain and grow sales from existing customers; the ability of Twist Bioscience to achieve sufficient revenue to achieve or maintain positive cash flow from operations or profitability in any given period will depend heavily on the success of our existing products and the development and commercialization of additional products in the synthetic biology, biologic drug

 

and data storage industries; risks and uncertainties of rapidly changing technologies and extensive competition in synthetic biology that could make the products Twist Bioscience is developing obsolete or non-competitive; uncertainties of the retention of significant customers; the ability of Twist Bioscience to successfully integrate acquired companies and to achieve expected benefits from acquisitions; supply chain and other disruptions; risks of third party claims alleging infringement of patents and proprietary rights or seeking to invalidate Twist Bioscience’s patents or proprietary rights; and the risk that Twist Bioscience’s proprietary rights may be insufficient to protect its technologies. For a description of the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to Twist Bioscience’s business in general, see Twist Bioscience’s risk factors set forth in Twist Bioscience’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on November 21, 2023 and subsequent filings with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and Twist Bioscience specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

 

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