DASA Group to offer Natera's non-invasive prenatal test for detection of genetic syndromes

DASA Group and Natera today announced that DASA Group will begin offering Natera's non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT) Panorama™ for the detection of genetic syndromes common in the population, such as trisomy 21 (Down syndrome), trisomy 13 (Patau Syndrome ), trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome) and monosomy X (Turner syndrome). The test uses a simple blood draw from the mother and can be performed within the first trimester of pregnancy, as early as nine weeks, without any risk to the fetus.

“We have seen tremendous response to Panorama, our advanced non-invasive prenatal test, through our global launch, and now are excited to bring it to Brazil through DASA Group's highly respected service centers”

According to Dr. Gustavo Guida, geneticist and consultant for DASA Group, the test is an advanced genetic screen. "Small amounts of DNA from the fetus enter the mother's bloodstream through the placenta. By comparing the sequence of the DNA, using identified fetal and maternal chromosomes, it is possible to predict with high accuracy if these syndromes are present in the baby. This technology has already been used in tens of thousands of women around the world with excellent results."

Dr. Guida explains that this test is a breakthrough compared to available methods of obtaining information. Certain approaches require intrauterine fetal genetic material, the collection of which carries a small risk of a miscarriage. Also, while Panorama has high levels of accuracy in early pregnancy, other non-invasive tests, such as the Triple Test and Quad Test, only show high accuracy with samples obtained later in pregnancy.

"We have seen tremendous response to Panorama, our advanced non-invasive prenatal test, through our global launch, and now are excited to bring it to Brazil through DASA Group's highly respected service centers," said Matthew Rabinowitz, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Natera. "We continue to research additional applications for the technology to meet our goal of providing the most reliable information possible to expecting parents."

Across multiple clinical trials, Panorama has been validated globally for trisomy 21, trisomy 18, trisomy 13 and monosomy X with a sensitivity of greater than 99% for trisomy 21, trisomy 18 and trisomy 13, 92% for monosomy X, and no false positives for all syndromes tested. Clinical validation data was presented at the annual Society of Maternal Fetal Medicine Meeting on Feb. 15, 2013. The most recent independently led, blinded study was published in May 2013 in Prenatal Diagnosis by author Professor Nicolaides, Ph.D., and The Fetal Medicine Foundation. This study also demonstrated a sensitivity of greater than 99% for detection of triploidy. Panorama is currently being evaluated in several other clinical trials for the detection of other genetic disorders, including XXY, XYY and XXX.

The non-invasive prenatal test Panorama will be offered through the Delboni brands Sergio Franco and Alta, which are both part of DASA Group.