November 17, 2008 09:25 AM Eastern Time 

Identigene Expands Sales of First-ever Over-the-Counter DNA Paternity Test Kit to Discount Stores and Supercenters

SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Identigene today announced the Identigene DNA Paternity Test Kit is now available in select discount stores and supercenters in central Texas, bringing the total number of retail locations in which the kit is sold to nearly 15,500. Less than a year after its initial retail launch, the Identigene DNA Paternity Test Kit has provided peace-of-mind to tens of thousands of people across the country.

Doubt over a child’s paternity is a common question for hundreds of thousands of people whose perception has been that paternity testing requires court involvement, weeks of waiting for results, and a cost of multiple hundreds of dollars. But Identigene, an industry pioneer in DNA identification testing, now offers an over-the-counter paternity testing kit that is private, convenient, affordable and reliable—a relief to Clayton Hall of Easly, South Carolina, and many like him.

Hall’s experience is poignant. He held the envelope containing a sample of his DNA and one from Chloe—the child he is raising as his daughter—over the open slot of a U.S. Mail drop box for more than five minutes, deciding. If he let go of the envelope, in a few days he may learn something upsetting about that relationship. But if he didn’t find out the truth, the question of Chloe’s paternity would continue to nag him for life.

“The Identigene DNA Paternity Test Kit was an inexpensive way for me to clear up doubts and to know the truth,” said Hall. “Keep in mind, the test result wasn’t going to change my support for Chloe. I was there when she was born and with her every step of the way. Still, a few days after I mailed in our DNA samples when I learned I was Chloe’s biological father, I was ecstatic.”

To use the kit, DNA paternity test participants collect a DNA sample by rubbing the inside of their mouths using swabs provided in the kit. The DNA samples, along with consent forms and lab fee, are then sent in a postage-paid return envelope to Identigene for processing. Results are available within three to five business days of receipt at the laboratory. Customers can choose to receive results by mail or online through a secured Web service. All information remains strictly confidential.

Online Press Room

The Identigene DNA Paternity Test Kit online pressroom is www.dnatesting.com/presskit, and provides past press releases, high-resolution images, B-roll footage and a store locator.

Availability and Pricing

The Identigene DNA Paternity Test is now available in discount stores and supercenters in central Texas in addition to Rite Aid, Walgreens, Fruth and other pharmacies in 48 states across the country. The kit is not offered in New York because a state law requires a doctor’s prescription or a court order to initiate a DNA test.

Suggested retail price for an Identigene DNA Paternity Test Collection Kit is $29.99. The laboratory processing fee for the personal peace-of-mind test is $119. An option is available for retail customers who want to use test results in legal proceedings that provides specific collection and secure chain-of-custody procedures for the DNA samples. The processing fee for test results for use in legal proceedings is $319, which includes the lab fee.

About Identigene

Identigene, a Sorenson Genomics company, was founded in 1993 and was the first DNA testing laboratory in the world to commercially use modern STR technology for paternity testing. Identigene offers a full range of DNA testing services including tests used to determine paternity, siblingship and other familial relationships, as well as DNA tests for purposes of immigration, child custody, settling estates and other family-related situations. Additional information about Identigene and its DNA testing services is available by visiting www.dnatesting.com.