Helix : Expands Ecosystem for Consumer Genomics Through Two New Partnerships

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Helix, a consumer genomics company, today announced that it has entered collaborations with two new partners who will develop products for Helix's consumer genomics ecosystem. Helix empowers every person to discover insights into their own DNA through an ecosystem of diverse consumer applications. Each application will be developed by a high-quality partner in collaboration with Helix.

Good Start Genetics® is collaborating with Helix to develop consumer applications to help couples better understand their reproductive health. "As DNA information becomes more widely accessible, we will offer suites of products for health care providers and consumers throughout the reproductive journey," said Don Hardison, CEO of Good Start Genetics. "Our relationship with Helix broadens our footprint in the digital environment for best-in-class products for consumers."

Duke University is collaborating with Helix to develop novel educational programs focused on genetics and to pioneer initiatives to support entrepreneurs who build on the Helix platform. "We are excited about the opportunity to develop a suite of innovative tools that will allow students, faculty, and the public to learn how to use their genomes for a myriad of insights into their health, well-being, and families," said Geoff Ginsburg, Director at the Center for Applied Genomics and Precision Medicine at Duke University.

Helix previously announced partnerships with the Center for Individualized Medicine at Mayo Clinic, which will develop applications initially focused on consumer education and health-related queries, and Laboratory Corporation of America® Holdings (LabCorp®), which will develop and offer innovative analysis and interpretation services, initially focused on medically actionable genetic conditions.

"We are thrilled to announce partnerships with two more world-class organizations that will offer every person insights into their genome," said Jay Flatley, CEO of Illumina, Inc. and Helix's Chairman of the Board. "With four major partners now announced, and a rich pipeline of other potential partners, we believe that Helix will empower consumers to explore a variety of diverse applications provided by trusted brands."

Helix continues to build one of the world's largest next-generation sequencing laboratories in San Diego, California, and will provide low cost sequencing and database services to its partners. All of Helix's partners are able to incorporate genetic insights into innovative products for consumers by leveraging the Helix laboratory and computational infrastructure. Helix expects that additional partners will develop applications focused on areas such as genealogy, fitness, diet, lifestyle, health, and inherited traits.

In August 2015, Illumina, Inc., Warburg Pincus, and Sutter Hill Ventures announced that they had formed Helix, which is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and received financing commitments in excess of $100 million.

About Helix
Based in San Francisco, Helix empowers every person to discover insights into their DNA. Helix is committed to working with a diverse set of high-quality content partners to create an ecosystem for consumer genomics and will be launching its consumer-facing platform in 2016. To learn more about Helix, visit www.helix.com and follow @my_helix.

About Illumina
Illumina is transforming human health as the global leader in sequencing and array-based technologies. The company serves customers in a broad range of markets, enabling the adoption of genomic solutions in research and clinical settings. To learn how Illumina is unlocking the power of the genome, visit www.illumina.com and follow @illumina.

About Good Start Genetics
Good Start Genetics is a molecular genetics information company transforming the standard of care in reproductive medicine. Its suite of reproductive genetics products provides clinicians and patients with insightful and actionable information in order to promote successful pregnancies and healthy families. Good Start Genetics complements its proprietary next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) capabilities with world-class customer care and thoughtful genetic counseling to help families prepare for tomorrow. For more information, please visit www.goodstartgenetics.com.

About Duke University
Duke University is an intellectually and physically integrated research university, with strengths extending across medicine, the sciences and engineering, and the social sciences. Multiple Duke units will be involved in the Helix partnership including the Duke Center for Applied Genomics & Precision Medicine, the Information Initiative at Duke (iiD), the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative, the Duke Institute for Health Innovation (DIHI), and the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke. For information, please visit www.duke.edu.

Contacts

Helix
Partners/Developers: [e-mail]
Careers: [e-mail]
General Inquiries: [e-mail]; 415-805-3360

GoodStart Genetics
Jeff Stoecker, Racepoint Global
617-624-3424
[e-mail]

Duke University
Michael Schoenfeld
Vice President for Public Affairs and Government Relations, Duke University
919-681-3788
[e-mail]

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SOURCE Helix