Yourgene launches expanded non-invasive prenatal testing service
Yourgene Health has introduced IONA Care+, an enhanced non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) service that expands screening capabilities to include microdeletion syndromes alongside chromosomal abnormalities, offering expectant parents comprehensive genetic risk assessment from as early as 10 weeks’ gestation.
Yourgene Genomic Services Laboratory
Advanced screening technology expands diagnostic options
The Manchester-based molecular diagnostics company, part of the Novacyt group, has built upon its existing NIPT platform to deliver this expanded service. IONA Care+ utilizes Yourgene’s IONA Nx NIPT Workflow, which analyzes cell-free fetal DNA in maternal blood samples through next-generation sequencing technology.
The new comprehensive service significantly extends the screening menu beyond the standard trisomy detection (Down’s, Edwards’ and Patau’s syndromes) to include additional autosomal aneuploidies, sex chromosomal abnormalities (Turner, Triple X, Klinefelter and Jacobs syndromes), and now clinically relevant microdeletion syndromes.
Microdeletion detection enhances clinical utility
The addition of microdeletion syndrome screening represents a significant advancement in non-invasive prenatal testing capabilities. The IONA Care+ service can now detect DiGeorge Syndrome, Prader-Willi, Angelman, 1p36 deletion, Cri-du-Chat and Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome – genetic conditions caused by small chromosomal deletions that traditional karyotyping might miss.
This enhanced screening capability provides clinicians and expectant parents with more comprehensive genetic information without the risks associated with invasive procedures such as amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling.
Tiered testing options for personalised care
Yourgene has structured its prenatal screening services to accommodate varying clinical needs and patient preferences through three distinct testing options:
- IONA test – Screens for the three most common trisomies (21, 18, and 13)
- IONA Care – Includes trisomy screening plus sex chromosome aneuploidies
- IONA Care+ – The comprehensive option adding microdeletion syndrome detection
Results from all testing options are delivered within 3-5 working days from Yourgene’s Manchester laboratories, accessible to patients via their healthcare providers. The service is currently available for singleton and monochorionic twin pregnancies.
Laboratory innovation marks decade of development
Lyn Rees, CEO of Novacyt, highlighted the significance of this service expansion: “We are pleased to announce our newest service — the most comprehensive clinical menu in our portfolio of screening tests offered to pregnant women by our Genomic Services’ laboratories.”
Rees noted the company’s pioneering role in the field, adding: “Yourgene Health launched the first CE-IVD NIPT in 2015, with the original IONA test, so it’s great to see us continuing to enhance the NIPT landscape 10 years later.”
The expanded testing capabilities reflect ongoing technological advancements in molecular diagnostics and genetic analysis, providing healthcare professionals with increasingly sophisticated tools for prenatal care and genetic counselling.
