Everything Genetic and Berkshire and Surrey Pathology Services (BSPS) have joined forces to provide a Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) service for cancer panels in the UK.
Everything Genetic, a fast-growing UK business offering genetic testing services for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of a range of cancers, has partnered with Berkshire and Surrey Pathology Services (BSPS), an NHS Pathology Network, to provide Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) services to healthcare professionals and customers across the UK.
NGS is a technology that enables complex and reliable interrogation of DNA to assess samples for variations that may indicate a predisposition to a genetic disease. Everything Genetic has invested in the Illumina NGS MiSeq Platform, under an initial five-year agreement, which will enable the molecular diagnostics laboratory based at the Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust to analyse tiny amounts of DNA for the presence of variations. BSPS will begin to deliver services using Everything Genetic’s two new cancer gene panels that are being developed: a 12-gene breast cancer panel and a 30-gene multi-cancer panel. Both panels will launch in the new year under the Everything Genetic brand. The new assays have been created by a UK-based team of molecular scientists and link to cloud-based software systems, which enable extremely accurate analysis of the data and create an easily accessible report of the results for customers.
Partnering with BSPS to provide this service will ensure a high-quality service for Everything Genetic’s customers, with a faster turnaround time for results and a lower price per test than is currently available. The BSPS molecular diagnostics laboratory has recently been approved as a Local Genomic Laboratory to help in the delivery of NHS Genomic Medicine Service nationally.
This offering builds on an existing collaboration between the two organisations, who joined forces in a similar way in 2019, to provide breast cancer patients in the UK with access to the Prosigna 50 gene assay – a genomic test that can predict the risk of recurrence of breast cancer, therefore enabling patients and their physicians to tailor treatment based on and appropriate to the biology of the patient’s own tumour.
James Price, Chief Executive Officer at Everything Genetic, said: “We’re delighted to partner with Berkshire and Surrey Pathology Services to provide Next Generation Sequencing services. Our investment in this public-private partnership and associated technology demonstrates our commitment to quality and to the prevention and treatment of cancer in the UK and further afield. This partnership also marks an evolution in the Everything Genetic business, providing our own genetic testing technology as part of our mission to make genetic testing more accessible to all.”
Dr Nadine Collins, Consultant Clinical Scientist at Berkshire and Surrey Pathology Service, said: “We’re excited to partner with Everything Genetic to deliver Next Generation Sequencing on this platform to clinicians and customers across the UK. This partnership will help us to continue to develop the services that we can offer to our users and ensure that the latest scientific advances in technology can be rolled out and made available for the benefit of all.”
Everything Genetic was named by the Sunday Times as the fifth fastest growing UK business in 2021. As such it has the systems and infrastructure in place to reach a wide network and to deliver fast and accurate results. Everything Genetic uniquely provides an in-house wraparound customer care solution for clients including pre-and post-test clinical support, organised logistics and documentation. It is looking to expand existing partnerships with healthcare providers, and to build new ones, ensuring better access to genetic testing and enabling them to provide the highest standard of care for patients.
