Natera NIPT to Expand Into Microdeletions

February 5, 2014 | Natera announced today that the company's Panorama non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT), one of several tests on the market using serum samples to screen pregnant mothers for fetal aneuploidies like Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome), will soon cover much more difficult-to-detect conditions like DiGeorge syndrome, which are caused by small deletions along the length of the chromosome. In addition to DiGeorge syndrome, which will come standard with all Panorama tests, Natera will also optionally screen for Angelman syndrome, Cri-du-chat syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, and 1p36 deletion. The expanded offerings are made possible in the wake of a study wherein Natera demonstrated over 99% specificity in calling each of these syndromes, the greatest level of accuracy yet demonstrated in detecting microdeletions through NIPT. Business Wire