NEW YORK – The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) and five other national medical organizations said on Wednesday that they have partnered to create the Reproductive Genetics Technology Consortium in order to help develop consensus recommendations and consistency among various medical societies that issue recommendations and guidelines for prenatal genetic testing.
In addition to the ACMG, member organizations include the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the International Society of Prenatal Diagnosis, the National Society of Genetic Counselors, the Perinatal Quality Foundation, and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine.
The consortium will help professional organizations develop practice guidelines and will facilitate discussion in different societies on the appropriate use of reproductive genetic testing. It will also provide a forum through which commercial laboratories or companies that are developing new technologies can proactively communicate to obtain input and guidance regarding new testing, and will provide consensus expert opinions about the clinical utility and application of emerging genetic tests.
"Each member of the new consortium has a goal of optimizing the health of women and infants," Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine representative Mary Norton said in a statement. "Bringing our organizations together will establish an opportunity for dialogue between stakeholders and provide a stronger voice on these important issues."
ACMG President Anthony Gregg also noted that collaboration among the consortium's members may help accelerate the pace of moving genetic technologies from the lab to the clinic.