MELBOURNE, Australia, March 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Genetic Technologies Limited (ASX: GTG; NASDAQ: GENE, “Company”, “GTG”), a global leader in genomics-based tests in health, wellness and serious disease, is pleased to highlight a summary of the Company’s commitment to innovation. This innovation is driven by:

• Strong global academic relationships with research groups
• Continuous development of the geneType portfolio
• A deep pipeline of new unique and ground-breaking tests

Strong Global Academic and Research Partnerships

GTG’s global academic connections are exemplified by the Company’s collaboration with several high-profile universities involving a range of translational research projects, all focused on delivering a platform for the next generation of risk assessments tests.

Some examples of these projects include but are not limited to:

1. CASSOWARY project; a clinical trial in which GTG is collaborating with University of Melbourne, Queen Mary University of London, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, and the Daffodil Centre to develop the utility of risk prediction tools, such as geneType in general practice. This important study will include 8 General Practices and 600 patients. GTG is one of the co-co-principal investigators of this trial led by Professor Jon Emery.
2. BRCA 1/2 modifier project in breast cancer risk. GTG is the laboratory service provider leveraging the company’s NY State and CLIA certifications. Two ongoing studies with investigators at Memorial Sloane Kettering and the Ohio State University are close to wrapping up. Discussions are ongoing with these and additional institutions to use GTG as the lab service provider for subsequent studies in the Polygenic Risk Score (PRS) modifier space across other cancers in addition to breast.
3. GTG has provided letters of support as the lab service provider for future opportunities subject to grant funding with investigators at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (Seattle), investigators from St. Vincent’s Hospital (Sydney), and investigators from the Council of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research.
4. Utility of Breast PRS in mammography; a clinical study assessing the integration of geneType’s population risk assessment within breast imaging centres with University of Melbourne and Professors John Hopper and Jon Emery.
5. A range of internally funded research projects with US breast centres in New York, Miami and Houston to pilot the integrated risk assessment within an imaging facility.

These research projects highlight GTG’s deep commitment to expand the risk assessment testing space enabling more effective stratification of patients at risk of developing serious disease.

Continuous Enhancement of Current Portfolio

GTG continues to drive enhancement and validation of the current geneType portfolio with a pipeline of publications in quality peer reviewed journals including:

1. Nurses’ health study collaboration with Professor Bernard Rosner from Harvard School of Public Health ovarian cross validation.
2. Colorectal Cancer risk assessment model improvement within UK Biobank.
3. An 800-subject case/control cross validation study of African genetic ancestry with Washington University (St Louis).
4. Implementation of genetic inferred ancestry into the geneType commercial test.
5. Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) including a multi-ethnic cross validation of Breast Cancer, Colorectal Cancer and Ovarian Cancer models.
6. Study to cross validate data from the geneType cardiology-focused risk assessment tests with a multi-ethnic cohort.

Advancing the geneType Pipeline

GTG regards adding new expanded risk assessment tests to the company’s portfolio as a critical step in improving patient care. Leveraging this approach GTG is expanding the portfolio with the following new tests:

1. Leveraging the BRCA-modifier research projects GTG will develop a test that incorporates high penetrant pathogenic variant risk with PRS. There is interest in this type of test from the high-risk centres.
2. Finalising the rollout of the comprehensive geneType (high penetrant gene panel for all 9 of the geneType diseases). This test would include an extensive gene panel added to the patented geneType multi-risk test.
3. Developing a new geneType risk assessment tests that may include diseases like lung cancer. Oncology based risk assessment tests have strong interest from Big Pharm and government particularly when it can be incorporated into the rapidly expanding liquid biopsy space.

GTG’s CEO, Simon Morriss noted, “All of these important future initiatives highlight GTG’s ongoing commitment to continuous product improvement and new product development, underpinned by solid scientific validation and clinical utility. All the company’s risk assessment tests address areas of significant unmet medical need by assisting in stratifying people at elevated risk of disease and continuing to drive further adoption into the rapidly expanding area personalised medicine.”

Approved for release by the Chair of Board of Directors.

Enquiries

Investor Relations
Adrian Mulcahy
Automic Markets
M: +61 438 630 411
E: adrian.mulcahy@automicgroup.com.au

About Genetic Technologies Limited

Genetic Technologies Limited (ASX: GTG; Nasdaq: GENE) is a diversified molecular diagnostics company. A global leader in genomics-based tests in health, wellness, and serious disease through its geneType and EasyDNA brands. GTG offers cancer predictive testing and assessment tools to help physicians to improve health outcomes for people around the world. The company has a proprietary risk stratification platform that has been developed over the past decade and integrates clinical and genetic risk to deliver actionable outcomes to physicians and individuals. Leading the world in risk prediction in oncology, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, Genetic Technologies continues to develop risk assessment products. For more information, please visit www.genetype.com