ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--IntegraGen, a leading player in the development and marketing of molecular diagnostic testing in autism and oncology, today announced the results of a study that reports the ability to predict the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children with signs of developmental delay or autism. The research, presented during the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry meeting in Orlando, Florida, reports on the identification of over 1,500 genetic variants shown to be associated with autism. The present study, which included nearly 2,500 children diagnosed with autism and 3,500 controls, builds on research the company previously presented that identified single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) which predict the risk of autism in children who have an older sibling diagnosed with ASD.
“Using previously published research methodologies applied to complex disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, we identified genetic biomarkers that predict a significantly increased risk of developing autism,” commented study author Claire Amiet, M.D., Ph.D, Clinical Research Manager at IntegraGen and a practicing child psychiatrist from the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière in Paris, France. “We believe these findings may help contribute to an earlier referral of children who are at increased risk of autism, leading to an earlier diagnosis, earlier intervention, and better prognosis.”
“The delay between first signs of a developmental disorder and the eventual diagnosis of autism and the extended wait time for these children to be referred to and seen by a specialist are major issues facing parents of children with autism,” stated Dr. Bernard Courtieu, IntegraGen’s Chief Executive Officer. “We expect these findings will help contribute to the earlier diagnosis of autism as we incorporate the results of this research into our next generation version of the ARISk® Test permitting physicians to prescribe the test for a broader patient population of children who have early signs of autism but no family history of the disorder. We anticipate the clinical availability of this new test by the end of the year.”
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has recently reported that it estimates that 1 in 88 children in the United States has been identified with ASD with the prevalence of the disorder being five times more common among boys than girls. The CDC also reports that, on average, children do not receive an ASD diagnosis until they are more than 4 years of age.
ABOUT INTEGRAGEN
Founded in 2000, IntegraGen (ALINT.PA) is a biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of molecular diagnostic tests in the fields of autism and oncology. IntegraGen’s mission is to translate molecular research into clinical practice through the identification of novel genetic biomarkers and the subsequent development of molecular diagnostic tests which allow clinicians to better manage the clinical care of their patients. IntegraGen is also a leader in delivering expert genomic service solutions to academic researchers and life sciences companies as a result of its scientific knowledge and technological expertise related to cutting edge genomic platforms and bioinformatics. Focusing its efforts on the early identification of children at risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), IntegraGen has made inroads in identifying common genetic variants associated with ASD while also developing the ARISk Test, a genetic screening tool for the early identification of children at risk for ASD who have an older sibling diagnosed with autism.
For more information about the ARISk Test visit www.arisktest.com.
For more information on IntegraGen visit www.integragen.com.
