Pilot complete genome sequencing service: Bupa turns into first UK main personal healthcare supplier to pilot complete genome sequencing for chosen UK clients, figuring out threat of illness throughout greater than 36 circumstances together with 10 cancers
· ‘My Genomic Well being’ begins as a two-year pilot providing greater than 3,500 clients complete genome sequencing to establish their threat of growing future well being circumstances
· The programme will establish threat of illness throughout greater than 36 circumstances together with 10 cancers, with clients accessing personalised suggestions and tailor-made well being plans to forestall sickness and promote early detection of illness
· The pilot comes as a part of Bupa’s development into genomic well being within the UK, integrating genomic testing into services and products earlier than signs develop and after circumstances are identified to assist folks reside longer, more healthy, happier lives
The 2-year programme, My Genomic Well being, gives greater than 3,500 clients entry to their genetic threat profile of growing greater than 36 circumstances that may be both prevented or have higher outcomes if detected and handled early. These embody coronary heart illness, metabolic illnesses and 10 forms of most cancers reminiscent of breast, prostate, pores and skin and bowel most cancers.
These discovered to be at excessive genetic threat of growing a illness can have entry to personalised suggestions and tailor-made well being plans to forestall sickness or promote early detection of illness.
Over 300 genes and 9 polygenic threat scores can be analysed as a part of My Genomic Well being. Clients additionally obtain insights about their service gene standing and pharmacogenomics; or how folks react in a different way to medicines based mostly on their genetic make-up.
The programme contains wraparound care, together with entry to genetic counselling and onward referrals to Bupa companies together with GP or specialist companies if wanted.
Importantly, the check will solely report on genes the place preventative motion could be taken. Clients can be examined to establish their genetic threat of growing greater than 36 totally different illnesses together with 10 forms of most cancers, reminiscent of:
· Colorectal most cancers
· Gastric most cancers
· Breast most cancers
· Prostate most cancers
· Familial hypercholesterolaemia
· Cardiomyopathy
· Thyroid most cancers
· Haemochromatosis
· Pores and skin most cancers
· Kind 2 diabetes
Carlos Jaureguizar, CEO for Bupa World, India & UK, stated: “Genomics will play a pivotal function in the way forward for healthcare. Analysing somebody’s genetic make-up will decide their susceptibility to circumstances like coronary heart illness or most cancers. It will allow healthcare firms to offer personalised interventions that individuals could make of their on a regular basis lives to scale back their dangers. What’s thrilling is it creates a pivotal shift in how healthcare could be offered, shifting from treating diseases to growing interventions for prevention, in the end serving to folks keep more healthy for longer.
“The development of genetic testing inside healthcare innovation has the potential to be an important lever in supporting the UK’s well being. By the My Genomic Well being pilot and the genetic testing options out there inside our Bupa Well being Assessments and insured clients’ therapy plans, we are actually capable of provide end-to-end care: from earlier than signs develop to enhancing their private therapy plans and supporting their journey again to well being.”
Well being Insights (Polygenic Danger Scoring)
Complete genome sequencing is one in every of quite a few programmes underway by Bupa to discover how genomics can rework extra points of affected person care and therapy pathways by means of genetic testing.
Quickly to be operating as a pilot for 300 clients with the purpose to be out there as an non-compulsory add-on to Bupa Well being Assessments for girls over 40 and males over 45 in early 2025, a Well being Insights Polygenic Danger Scoring (PRS) check assesses the chance of 4 totally different circumstances together with breast most cancers, prostate most cancers, Kind 2 diabetes and heart problems. Offered to the client with a full personalised report, it allows clients to have a rounded dialog with a GP on their well being standing, areas of issues, ongoing screening suggestions and life-style selections to assist them make on a regular basis steps in direction of higher well being.
Sarah Melia, Well being Companies Common Supervisor at Bupa World, India & UK, stated: “We’re dedicated to figuring out well being dangers early to empower all our clients, each insured and pay-as-you-go, to proactively handle their well being.
“By integrating Polygenic Danger Scoring (PRS) into our well-regarded Bupa Well being Assessments, we can information clients by means of the journey of understanding their threat of growing sure illnesses based mostly on their genetic make-up and supply the scientific help they should make common life-style adjustments that maintain them properly for longer.”
Genetic testing post-diagnosis
Together with preventative well being, Bupa now gives UK insurance coverage clients the selection to entry a variety of genetic assessments as soon as signs have been recognized to help their therapy plan, as advisable by their marketing consultant. These assessments embody:
– Signatera: for patrons with colorectal or bladder most cancers. Signifies the probability of the most cancers returning and whether or not chemotherapy is required.
– CiRT: helps clinicians determine whether or not clients will profit from Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor (ICI) therapy for a number of totally different cancers.
– Digistain: assesses the chance of breast most cancers recurrence, in sufferers with the most typical sort of early-stage breast most cancers.
– Galeas: a urine check for patrons presenting with microscopic haematuria. It may possibly detect DNA from most cancers cells and is extremely delicate, notably at reporting when most cancers is extremely unlikely.
Dr Rishi Patel, Head of Medical Transformation at Bupa, stated: “This can be a turning level in how we take into consideration healthcare, serving to folks to be extra proactive in stopping or delaying ill-health to get pleasure from extra of their years. Genomics is vital to this; it helps us advise clients on the preventative actions they’ll take to decrease their possibilities of turning into unwell in addition to get again to well being extra shortly
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