NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Navigenics will provide its genomic testing service through a network of physicians in order to help their patients learn about their potential genetic risks for certain diseases, Navigenics said today.
Under the agreement, Navigenics will provide its services to doctors in the MDVIP network, which is spread across 25 states and Washington, DC. These physicians practice preventive, proactive, and personalized healthcare, the company said.
The Navigenics test will be used to identify markers that could indicate a patient’s risk levels for developing conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart attack, and celiac disease.
Navigenics said it spent six months working with MDVIP studying how doctors and patients integrated preventive genomics in more than 40 clinical encounters.
MDVIP CEO Edward Goldman said in a statement that patients involved in the study “overwhelmingly found the experience positive, they felt empowered rather than anxious, and they indicated a desire to change their lifestyles and more productively work with their physicians.”
The network of 280 doctors, which serves over 100,000 patients, will discuss the testing process with patients. Patients may also consult with a genetic counselor, and Navigenics will conduct the genome scanning and the personal risk analysis.