NEW YORK — Genetic Technologies said on Tuesday that it has partnered with Washington University's Institute for Public Health on a study designed to expand the predictive capability of the company's GeneType breast cancer risk assessment test for women of African descent.
The study, which will be fully funded by Genetic Technologies, will involve the analysis of around 1,000 samples over a nine-month period. The Australian company said it expects 43.5 percent of the cost of the study to be offset by R&D tax rebates.
"Expanding our capabilities to include those of African descent is a critical element of our long-term strategy," Genetic Technologies CEO Simon Morriss said in a statement. "To fully address the growing burden of common complex diseases on our healthcare systems, we need to be able to provide predictive risk tests for all individuals to empower them with the information to proactively manage their health and understand their risk."
He added that the firm will continue to assess its product portfolio in order to expand its addressable population and provide polygenic risk scores for multi-ethnic populations.