Abnova Subsidiary Wellconn Genomics™ Clinical Laboratory Introduces Germline Genetic Testing Service for Prostate Cancer Hereditary Predisposing Genes

Neihu, Taiwan (September 23, 2019)

Abnova subsidiary Wellconn Genomics™ clinical laboratory announced today the introduction of germline genetic testing service (Germline Catch™, www.wellconn.com/patients/germlinecatch.asp) for prostate cancer hereditary predisposing genes. These inherited genes are passed on from parents to offspring and play an important role in cancer risk and susceptibility. Knowledge of these heritable genes can be used not only to reduce the likelihood of developing cancer but also to select effective, evidenced-based therapy to treat prostate cancer. The advent of next-generation sequencing (NGS) platforms has ushered a paradigm shift in the efficient, high throughput identification and analysis of heritable predisposing genes and their variants across the human genome. Wellconn Genomics™ has successfully pioneered and deployed the Germline Catch™ genetic testing proprietary for the Taiwan prostate cancer cohort, thereby creating an invaluable database with annotated mutations and bioinformatics clinically relevant to the domestic market.

Prostate cancer germline genetic testing has been introduced for the Caucasian population in US and Europe, but its clinical evidence and probability of predisposing gene mutations are unclear for the Asian population in Taiwan. Wellconn Genomics™ clinical laboratory has setup a comprehensive, validated testing panel consisting of BRCA1, BRCA2, ATM, PABL2, and FANCA for the Taiwan prostate cancer cohort to provide the evidence-based statistics for the heritable predisposing genes. Germline Catch™ service will be available not only to the 3000 patients from the 5000 newly diagnosed prostate cancer each year, but also to the 1200 prostate cancer patients developing metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) every year, and to the previously diagnosed prostate cancer patients who have not yet been germline tested. Hence, the potential Germline Catch™ testing population in Taiwan is about 10,000 patients, with an expected 700 positively tested patients to benefit from such test. This figure does not include the related family members who could be tested for early preventive measures.

Germline genetic testing was first introduced for ovarian and breast cancers based on BRCA1 and BRCA2 predisposing genes. In 2014, FDA approved a PARP inhibitor (Lynparza™) target therapy based on synthetic lethality’s 2 hits principle of gene mutations which selectively kill the BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 positive tumor cells. According the new 2019 NCCN guidelines, prostate cancer patients who tested positively for BRCA1, BCRA2, ATM, PABL2, or FANCA are now also eligible for PARP inhibitor therapy. As a result, one expects to see a broadening of PARP inhibitor treatment coverage from ovarian to breast to prostate to pancreatic cancers in the solid tumor spectrum as the germline testing continues to expand. In the new era of precision medicine, one can ascertain that cancer genes can be inherited, detected, and treated thereby bringing improved and greater healthcare management for patients and their families.

Wellconn Genomics™ specializes in non-invasive, next-generation testing of personalized medicine focusing on circulating DNA, exosome, cell, and tissue biomarkers. Using state-of-the quantification techniques, actionable genomic and proteomic biomarkers can be analyzed on traditional tissue and peripheral blood samples and impacted clinically based on evidence-based medicine. The connection to health and wellness is precision testing and diagnostics. Wellconn Gneomics™ is committed to the precision medicine ecosystem of patients, physicians, biotech and pharmaceutical industry at the highest standard of quality. (www.wellconn.com)