COLUMBUS, Ohio and SAN MATEO, Calif. – The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and Helix, the leading precision health organization in the nation, are launching the largest precision health initiative in Ohio, aimed at driving better health outcomes and more personalized care for all individuals in the state.
The program, named Ohio State Genomic Health, will enroll 100,000 participants over four years and will provide important information about potential risks for health conditions by screening for variants in genes associated with breast and ovarian cancer, colorectal cancer and high cholesterol. Nationwide, nearly five million people are at an increased risk for one of these conditions.
Participants may use this genetic information to help prevent disease or detect it at earlier, more treatable stages. The research program will also enable the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center to uncover any risks that might be occurring at disproportionate levels so that proactive health programs can be developed for the broader community.
"This partnership will expand and accelerate research across Ohio State focused on understanding mechanisms underlying human disease as well as development of diagnostics and treatments for patients. This is a critical platform for prevention and treatment," said Peter Mohler, PhD, executive vice president for Research, Innovation and Knowledge at The Ohio State University, and chief scientific officer at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center.
By partnering with Helix, Ohio State will leverage Helix's proprietary Exome+Ⓡ assay and unique Sequence Once, Query OftenⓇ model to perform whole exome sequencing and interpret the specific genes related to the test being ordered. Helix will then continue to store a participant's genetic information for future clinical use. This will allow, with a patient's permission, health care providers to order future medically necessary genetic tests without the need to collect an additional DNA sample in most cases. This will give providers and their patients access to ongoing genetic insights about their health throughout their lifetime.
"Partnering with The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, one of the nation's top-ranked academic medical centers, will provide vital information about whether patients have an increased risk of disease," said James Lu, MD, PhD, CEO and co-founder of Helix. "Our other programs have found that 1 in 75 participants received a positive result for one of these serious, actionable genetic conditions. We are proud to partner with Ohio State to positively impact public health across the state and enable individuals to take greater control of their health."
Ohio State joins Helix's leading group of health system partners launching precision health initiatives across the nation.
Participation in Ohio State Genomic Health will be optional and at no cost, with more details to be provided to Ohio residents prior to its official launch later this year.
About The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center
One of the nation's leading academic medical centers, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center offers health care services in virtually every specialty and subspecialty in medicine. Thousands of patients come to us each month for treatments and services they can't find anywhere else. Providing access to health care information is central to our research, education and patient care mission. We're dedicated to improving health in Ohio and across the world through innovations and transformation in research, education, patient care and community engagement.
About Helix
Helix is the leading population genomics and precision health organization. Helix enables health systems, life sciences companies and payers to accelerate the integration of genomic data into patient care and therapeutic development. Learn more at www.helix.com.
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