NEW YORK ─ Passage Bio and Invitae on Monday announced that they are collaborating to facilitate genetic testing and support early identification of GM1 gangliosidosis (GM1) through Invitae's Detect Lysosomal Storage Disorders (Detect LSDs) program.
The companies are also partnering to provide clinical trial information to clinicians and patients.
San Francisco-based Invitae's Detect LSDs program, available in the US and Canada, provides genetic testing and genetic counseling at no charge to patients to encourage earlier diagnosis of lysosomal storage disorders like GM1 and, as a result, earlier access to clinical trials, the firms said.
GM1 is a rare and often life-threatening monogenic recessive lysosomal storage disease caused by mutations in the GLB1 gene, which encodes lysosomal acid beta-galactosidase (B-gal).
"Early identification and intervention are crucial steps in providing effective treatment to patients with GM1, particularly in the infantile form where onset occurs within the first six months of a patient's life," Bruce Goldsmith, president and CEO of Philadelphia-based Passage Bio, said in a statement.