Inova's whole genome sequencing test and interpretation from Veritas Genetics will be offered through the MyMap genetic information service. [© Anetta/Fotolia]
Inova's whole genome sequencing test and interpretation from Veritas Genetics will be offered through the MyMap genetic information service. [© Anetta/Fotolia]

Inova said today it will offer whole genome sequencing and interpretation services with Veritas Genetics, through a partnership whose value was not disclosed.

The companies will partner to create MyMap, a genomic information service that combines Veritas’ myGenome personal whole genome sequencing test with Inova’s MediMap® pharmacogenomic testing, genetic counseling, research, and clinical resources.

MyMap, set to reach the market later this year, is being promoted by the companies as one of the world’s first models for integrating whole genome data into clinical care.

MyMap will include myGenome, designed to screen a patient's whole genome for more than 1,200 clinically relevant conditions by using next-generation sequencing. In addition, myGenome is designed to assess carrier status for more than 100 inherited conditions, identify more than 120 traits, and provide genetic ancestral data by region.

Also included in MyMap are three Inova offerings:

  • MediMap® Plus, a test that analyzes 31 genes that influence response to 145 prescription medications across 14 medication categories.
  • Genetic counseling by counselors who will review test results with patients one-on-one in a clinic setting, then translate and interpret data into DNA-specific recommendations.
  • A physician network of specialists and subspecialists that according to Inova will work with patients to develop a care plan for their optimal health.

“As advances in research and medicine are made, [patients] will receive valuable updates relevant to their genetic blueprint. It's a long-term investment in their quality of life,” Todd Stottlemyer, CEO of Inova Center for Personalized Health, said in a statement. “The information gleaned from a patient's MyMap report can create a lifetime of useful information that will help Inova patients, their family members, and their physicians make more informed decisions about disease prevention and treatment, lifestyle, and diet.”

Inova oversees an integrated network of hospitals, primary and specialty care practices, emergency and urgent care centers, outpatient services and destination institutes. That network serves more than 2 million people each year from throughout the Washington, DC, metro area and beyond.

Through myGenome, Veritas said, it is creating and scaling the first platform capable of interpreting millions of genomes to dramatically advance research and medical discovery, drawing upon more than 100 bioinformaticians, curators, developers and genetic counselors.

“This is the way whole genome sequencing and interpretation will become a routine and essential part of patient care,” added Veritas co-founder and CEO Mirza Cifric. “Together, Inova and Veritas are combining the strengths of our two highly experienced teams to integrate genomics into personalized medicine, effectively and responsibly.”

Co-founded in 2014 by George Church, Ph.D., and other researchers at the Personal Genome Project at Harvard Medical School—which Dr. Church founded in 2005—Veritas has offices in the U.S., Europe and China.

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