ADx Healthcare announces partnership with Helix to provide Alzheimer's genetic tests

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Aug. 29, 2018 - PRLog -- ADx Healthcare Launches New Alzheimer's Genetic Test in Partnership with Helix

ADx Healthcare, a physician-owned provider of Alzheimer's disease-related testing, today announced the launch of its Alzheimer's Disease APOE genetic test in partnership with Helix, a personal genomics company. The first product to be available on the Helix store is a US-based, physician-approved, single gene test that reports on each separate variant of the APOE gene: e2, e3 and e4. Individuals can now purchase this Alzheimer's-related genetic test online and under the supervision and guidance of a licensed physician and genetic counselor.

"We seek to break new ground in the fight against Alzheimer's disease by giving those who are interested in learning about their own risk access to purchase a doctor-approved, genetic counselor-supported test," said Marci Hardy, PhD and ADx Healthcare Director of Health Sciences. "We want to unlock information related to the potential of preventive medicine in Alzheimer's disease through earlier availability of information and a focus on personal utility. It's not just about knowing your risk. We want customers to take steps to reduce their risk."

APOE is the single-most dominant genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease. One variant of the gene, the APOE-e4 allele, is known to be a higher-risk variant. The details of exactly how ApoE-e4 increases the risk for Alzheimer's disease are still being worked out, but the fact that it does increase risk is well established. The presence of a single ApoE-e4 (reported, for example, as e3/e4) increases an individual's risk for Alzheimer's disease about 3- to 4-fold, and the presence of two e4s (e4/e4) increases the risk about 12- to 14-fold.¹ In contrast to the e4, the e2 version is associated with reduced risk for Alzheimer's disease.

The personal utility for anyone who is interested in this information can be very valuable; knowing your risk allows you to make informed life choices, including taking opportunities to engage in potentially risk-reducing actions such as clinical trials, early stage drugs, or lifestyle choices that may preserve brain health.

The test will take advantage of Helix's proprietary Exome+ assay processed in their CLIA and CAP certified next-generation sequencing laboratory.

Ryan Fortna, MD, PhD, ADx Healthcare's Chief Scientific Officer shared, "I believe that everyone has a right to understand his or her own genetic makeup, with appropriate physician and/or genetic counseling oversight to ensure that the information is understood in an appropriate way.  The medical community and our society in general are increasingly recognizing the value of genetics as a powerful predictor of disease risk, and the ApoE gene has been well known for decades to be the most important genetic risk factor for late onset Alzheimer's disease, occurring after age 65.  I felt that it was important to make this test available to everyone who wants it, and that it was important to provide an option that includes appropriate medical oversight and genetic counseling to ensure that all who take part in testing are able to fully understand their results. Partnering with Helix allows us to bring this testing to the consumer marketspace so individuals that want to learn their genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease can gain access to testing from the privacy of their own home.  By providing physician oversight and genetic counseling for each consumer, at no additional charge, we are taking steps to ensure individuals understand the test and are supported through receiving and interpreting their results."

The ADx Healthcare ApoE Genetic Test is available for purchase through Helix's online store (http://www.helix.com).  All orders made through the Helix store will be reviewed by an independent physician and genetic counseling network, to ensure that the test is medically appropriate for the purchaser.  Purchasers will receive a secure electronic report they can open from the privacy of their own home, along with actionable insights on lifestyle factors related to brain health and Alzheimer's disease.

"Empowering every person with access to health insights from their DNA is core to our mission," said Justin Kao, Helix co-founder and SVP. "We are thrilled to partner with ADx Healthcare and are big believers in their responsible approach to delivering impactful information, with genetic counseling included as a core part of the product.  We believe that millions of people will benefit from this information."

About ADxHealthcare

ADx Healthcare provides laboratory test solutions and healthcare education related to Alzheimer's disease.  The company is headquartered in Bellingham, WA.

Additional information is available by calling 855.514.2273, or at https://genetics.adxhealthcare.com

Media Contacts:

ADx Healthcare

Geoff Baron

gbaron@adxhealthcare.com

+1.360.393.0111

1.Corder EH, et al. Gene dose of Apolipoprotein E type 4 allele and the risk of Alzheimer's disease in late onset families.

Science. 1993; 261: 921.

The APOE genetic test is a genetic assessment of Alzheimer's disease risk. The test is not a diagnosis and finding you have a high-risk variant of APOE does not automatically translate into a person getting the disease. What the test does do is tell you is if you have low, average, or high genetic risk associated with Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's is a complicated disease caused by a convergence of factors that go beyond genetics. Individuals concerned about memory problems should schedule an appointment with their primary care physician to have a comprehensive evaluation and possibly other diagnostic testing completed.