Thermo Fisher Scientific and Predictive Laboratories Announce Global Infertility Research Collaboration
Studies aim to elucidate infertility genetics for development of noninvasive test to support decision making and improved outcomes for women pursuing fertility treatment
CARLSBAD, Calif., June 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Thermo Fisher Scientific announced today that it has entered into a global research collaboration with Predictive Laboratories, a wholly owned subsidiary of Predictive Technology Group, Inc., (OTC PINK: PRED) focused on studying the genetic factors underlying infertility in women. The work will utilize Thermo Fisher’s various offerings for reproductive health, including Applied Biosystems CarrierScan Assay, Ion ReproSeq PGS Assay, CytoScan Dx Assay, and Ion AmpliSeq Exome RDY for whole exome sequencing.
Infertility has many potential causes, which may involve one or both partners. In some cases, no cause of the condition can be determined, leading the infertility to be described as “unexplained.” The most common causes among women are irregular ovulation, blockage of the fallopian tubes, and endometriosis. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) reports that at least 40 percent of women with infertility have endometriosis.
Endometriosis occurs when the endometrial tissue that lines the uterine wall grows in other areas of the body outside of the uterus. While the symptoms are well-characterized, including pelvic pain, heavy periods, and pain during sexual intercourse or bowel movements, the disease is highly variable and many women have asymptomatic endometriosis, which has a significant impact on their fertility. The studies with Predictive Laboratories aim to elucidate the genetic basis of this condition, which is expected to more accurately define which women will experience infertility.
“Infertility among women who seek to conceive has become an increasingly common condition, which leads to much frustration and financial burden as they seek alternative solutions,” said Bradley Robinson, CEO of Predictive Technology Group. “Our collaboration with Thermo Fisher brings together our innovative research and development capabilities with market-leading next generation sequencing technology to better understand the genetics of infertility for future development of a diagnostic solution.”
Worldwide, around 70 to 80 million couples currently experience infertility, which causes significant depression, anxiety, and loss of work productivity. The ability to identify women who will experience trouble conceiving will allow for early intervention and personalized treatment planning that may result in fewer cycles to achieve a successful pregnancy.
“We look forward to this exciting and important work with Predictive Laboratories to better understand infertility in women,” said Yan Zhang, general manager, reproductive health at Thermo Fisher. “With the combination of our partner’s expertise and our advanced solutions for genetic analysis, we are committed to reducing the future financial and emotional burden couples face while undergoing fertility treatment.”
About Thermo Fisher Scientific
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science, with revenues of more than $24 billion and approximately 70,000 employees globally. Our mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. We help our customers accelerate life sciences research, solve complex analytical challenges, improve patient diagnostics, deliver medicines to market and increase laboratory productivity. Through our premier brands – Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific and Unity Lab Services – we offer an unmatched combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and comprehensive services. For more information, please visit www.thermofisher.com.
About Predictive Technology Group, Inc.
Predictive Technology Group aims to revolutionize patient care through predictive data analytics, novel gene-based diagnostics and companion therapeutics through its subsidiaries Predictive Therapeutics, Predictive Biotech, and Predictive Laboratories. These subsidiaries are focused on endometriosis, scoliosis, degenerative disc disease and human cell and tissue products. The subsidiaries use genetic and other information as cornerstones in the development of new diagnostics that assess a person’s risk of illness and therapeutic products designed to identify, prevent and treat diseases more effectively. Additional information is available at Predtechgroup.com; Predrx.com; Predictivebiotech.com; and Predictivelabs.com.
Media Contact Information:
Mauricio Minotta
Director, Public Relations
+1 760 929 2456
Mauricio.minotta@thermofisher.com
Mamie Reeder
Predictive Technology Group, Inc.
385-297-8067
mreeder@predtechgroup.com
SOURCE Thermo Fisher Scientific
