Eye on DNA Headlines for 28 February 2008

by Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei
Posted February 28, 2008 in Eye on DNA Headlines

• Thanks to Berci at ScienceRoll for hosting Grand Rounds 4.22: The Future of Medicine.
• Congratulations to Dr. Jonathan Eisen at The Tree of Life! He’s the new Academic Editor in Chief of PLoS Biology.
• Congratulations also to my employer, DNA Direct . The company has closed $7 million in Series B financing. More from DNA Direct’s official blog. (Press release below the fold.)
• The Johns Hopkins Genetics and Public Policy Center (GPPC) is holding a series of public town hall meetings to gather opinions on biobanks for the effects of studying genetic and environmental factors on health. Register to attend at http://www.dnapolicy.org.

  *March 8 - Kansas City, MO
  *April 5 - Phoenix, AZ
  *April 19 - Jackson, MS
  *April 24 - Portland, OR
  *May 13 - Philadelphia, PA

• Kevin Kelly at The Quantified Self has some interesting insights into studying our own genomes in Wiki Your Genes.

  If a third-party vendor were to start selling the naked chip’s data for a small fee above its costs, it would be possible to do a large personal sequence using one of these tests and managing your data using open-source wiki technology like SNPedia. Hard-core recreational genomist could probably do a better job than either 23andMe or Decode are doing right now.

  Could you be a hardcore recreational genomist?

DNA Direct Attracts Series B Investment to Expand Its Medical Genetics Capabilities
Genetic testing services provider launching new point-of-care solutions for physician practices

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 27, 2008 - DNA Direct, a web-based provider of genetic testing services, announced today that it has closed $7 million in Series B financing, led by new investor, Lemhi Ventures, and including private investors from the firm’s Series A funding round.

“Lemhi Ventures and DNA Direct are a perfect fit,” said Ryan Phelan, founder and CEO of DNA Direct. “Lemhi understands that personalized medicine will be revolutionary for healthcare. Their team has the expertise to help us expand our service beyond consumers to providers, labs and health plans.”

Point-of-Care Genetic Expertise
The new financing will be used to further integrate DNA Direct’s services into the medical system by creating turnkey genetic testing solutions for physician practices and other healthcare providers. The beta version of Prenatal Primer , DNA Direct’s first point-of-care product, is launching at select OB/GYN practices this week.

Prenatal Primer [editor's note: see Eye on DNA post] is an interactive, web-based guide to prenatal testing options distributed to physician practices by Lenetix Medical Laboratories, a provider of prenatal diagnostics and genetic risk assessment technologies. Based on a referral from their physicians, pregnant patients will access the tool for education and decision support on prenatal testing.

“It’s exciting to see the company build on the genetic expertise it has cultivated through years of providing direct-to-consumer genetic testing services,” said Allan Bombard, M.D., Medical Director for DNA Direct. “By working with partners like Lenetix, we are leveraging our expertise to make genetic information more accessible for physicians and their patients.”

Lemhi Ventures partner joins the DNA Direct board
As part of the investment, Jodi Hubler, Managing Director for Lemhi Ventures, has joined the DNA Direct board of directors.

“Consumer access to health information is a fundamental driver of change,” said Hubler. “Genetic information is an increasingly important key to developing better, more carefully focused therapies. DNA Direct is a pioneer in building tools that increase understanding of genetics. We believe that will empower consumers to take greater control of their health care.”

About DNA Direct
DNA Direct is a privately-held company offering web-enabled tools and services that expand access to genetic expertise. DNA Direct’s mission is to deliver the power of personalized medicine to patients and providers - reducing health risks, preventing disease, and better targeting therapies. www.dnadirect.com.

Contact: Adam Ward
415-646-0222
adam@dnadirect.com

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