MADISON, N.J. USA, PARIS, France, BURLINGTON, N.C. USA — April 21, 2015 – Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX), the world’s leading provider of diagnostic information services, and Inserm, the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research institution, today launched BRCA Share™, a novel datashare initiative they co-founded to provide scientists and laboratory organizations around the world with open access to BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic data. The program’s goal is to accelerate research on BRCA gene mutations, particularly variants of uncertain significance, to improve the ability of clinical laboratory diagnostics to predict which individuals are at risk of developing hereditary breast and ovarian cancers.
Laboratory Corporation of America® Holdings (LabCorp®) (NYSE: LH), the world’s leading healthcare diagnostics company, is the first participant in the initiative, which is structured as a user group. BRCA Share builds on Inserm, Inserm Transfert, the French UNICANCER Genetic Group (UGG) and associated University Hospital Centers’ (CHUs) established BRCA gene data curation process and existing BRCA data in Inserm’s Universal Mutation Database (UMD-BRCA1/2), generated by sixteen UGG member entities that perform BRCA testing in France, including Curie Institute, Paris, where curation of the database is performed. Other commercial and research entities are anticipated to join BRCA Share.
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