All About GENYCA

About GENYCA :

GENYCA is a reference laboratory in molecular biology, specializing in pharmacogenetics and precision medicine, with vast experience in the health area at international level. Its team is made up of doctors, biologists and pharmacists, which allows a more complete and adequate multidisciplinary approach to current health problems. Testing services include simple and comprehensive preventive genetic testing for cardiovascular diseases (arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia and heart attack, thrombophilia, venous thrombosis associated with oral contraceptives), type 2 diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, digestive intolerances, late onset Alzheimer disease, Pharmacogenetics… Focusing on the patient, protocols are adapted to samples of oral mucosa (saliva), painless and noninvasive, in all possible cases. Under the premise of only offering quality services, GENYCA constantly works to improve its services and optimize its processes, backed by the ISO 9001: 2008 quality certification, and following the guidelines of the international ISO 15189 and ISO standards. / IEC 17025. In parallel, GENYCA also focuses on professionals, to whom it offers specialized training at different levels in genetics (from molecular biology techniques to the application of genetics in specific clinical areas) through a very powerful training department, which includes university training.

Potential and impact of genetic precision medicine in healthcare industry :

Precision (or personalized) medicine goal is to prevent and treat diseases based on each person’s genetics, environment, and lifestyle. Thanks to preventive genetic tests we can target stronger prevention actions for patients at higher genetic risk for some diseases such as heart attack and stroke, arterial hypertension, type 2 diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, Alzheimer, thrombosis, cardiometabolic disease… While pharmacogenetic tests provide information to establish the appropriate drug at the appropriate dosage for each patient, avoiding toxicity and secondary effects, in oncology, cardiology, neurology, rheumatology, geriatrics, pulmonology, gynecology, primary care, internal medicine… In addition to the benefits these tests have for the patients by improving care or even saving lives, implementing preventive measures can, in parallel, save unnecessary healthcare costs. Current trends indicate that genetics tests and their assessment are destined to become a routine component of health care. However, this poses significant challenges, one of them being awareness and education, both for society and health care providers. At this point it is important to highlight the importance of the health care provider’s role in precision medicine. At-home genetic testing kits are rising, and people are receiving their “raw” DNA data results, that very often they simply don’t understand. For this reason, it is essential that healthcare providers help patients with the interpretations and recommendations linked to DNA results. Physicians, as well as other health care professionals, should be active players by prescribing genetic tests to patients, in order to explain the obtained results, integrate the genetic results within the clinical and family history of the patients and establish more personalized recommendations and therapies based on the genetic background of the patient. But many specialists may feel they are lacking knowledge about how to deal with the information resulting from genetic tests, to provide recommendations or deliver informed counseling, or even decide when a patient might benefit from the information obtained from genetic tests, especially as targeted precision medicine therapies become more available for a wider number of conditions. It it therefore crucial to provide specialized training to health care professionals who wish to be educated or just learn more about and the scope of genetic testing in their area of care. Conclusions In summary, it is the right time to improve the health of the population by introducing precision medicine in clinical routine (by using predictive genetic tests and pharmacogenetic tests) with the aim to save time, money and lives. Besides, the role of health care providers as prescribers of these tests is very important, and for this reason, awareness and specialized training should be provided to them.

Clarisa Mielle

International Business Director
GENYCA,Spain