Skip to main content
Premium Trial:

Request an Annual Quote

Berry Genomics, Prenetics to Form Chinese Consumer Genomics JV

NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) — Berry Genomics has partnered with Hong Kong-based Prenetics to offer a range of direct-to-consumer genetic testing services to the Chinese market, the companies announced today.

Under the terms of their deal, Beijing-based Berry and Prenetics will create a joint venture to sell integrated digital health and genetics testing services directly to consumers in mainland China. The products will be available for order online, beginning in the first quarter of 2019, the companies said.

Berry and Prenetics added that the joint venture will seek to collaborate with insurers, governments, and other key stakeholders in order to meet local market needs. Additional terms were not disclosed.

"Berry is an industry leader in [non-invasive prenatal testing] and has developed a proven business model in genomics around a complex challenge in mainland China," Prenetics Cofounder and CEO Danny Yeung said in a statement. "Together with Berry, we will create awareness on health and the power of prevention through genetic understanding."

In January, Berry partnered with 10x Genomics to offer a new sequencing-based technology for NIPT in China. A few months later, Prenetics acquired UK-based wellness genetics company DNAFit for $10 million, marking its first step into the consumer genomics space.

The Scan

Positive Framing of Genetic Studies Can Spark Mistrust Among Underrepresented Groups

Researchers in Human Genetics and Genomics Advances report that how researchers describe genomic studies may alienate potential participants.

Small Study of Gene Editing to Treat Sickle Cell Disease

In a Novartis-sponsored study in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that a CRISPR-Cas9-based treatment targeting promoters of genes encoding fetal hemoglobin could reduce disease symptoms.

Gut Microbiome Changes Appear in Infants Before They Develop Eczema, Study Finds

Researchers report in mSystems that infants experienced an enrichment in Clostridium sensu stricto 1 and Finegoldia and a depletion of Bacteroides before developing eczema.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia Treatment Specificity Enhanced With Stem Cell Editing

A study in Nature suggests epitope editing in donor stem cells prior to bone marrow transplants can stave off toxicity when targeting acute myeloid leukemia with immunotherapy.