… without risks of traditional amniocentesis.

From Fortune Small Business.

Here’s an extended profile of Ravinder Dhallan, who holds the patent for a blood test that he says can identify Down syndrome after the eighth week of pregnancy. An excerpt:

His goal was a test to detect fetal abnormalities such as Down syndrome and cystic fibrosis at an early stage in a pregnancy (so there’s enough time for the fetus to be treated or aborted safely).

… Dhallan has incorporated a biotech firm called RavGen (ravgen.com), based in Columbia, Md. He has raised $15 million for research and development and has completed two clinical trials of RavGen’s prenatal screen. Dhallan is now recruiting clinicians and their patients for the third and last clinical trial. His test will then go up for approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. He hopes to have a test on the market in the next few years.

Dhallan’s timing is impeccable. The number of women giving birth after age 35 - the highest-risk group for Down syndrome - is increasing at a rate of 1.5% each year. Last January the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommended that all pregnant women be screened for Down syndrome.

Dhallan faces stiff competition. Some 15 research teams worldwide are seeking a solution for safe, reliable, noninvasive alternatives to amniocentesis, says Dr. Jacob Canick, director of prenatal and special testing at Women & Infants Hospital in Providence.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 12th, 2007 at 3:11 pm and is filed under Down syndrome, cystic fibrosis, prenatal diagnosis, research news. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.  Email This Post