The Parkinson’s Foundation has announced the expansion of PD GENEration: Mapping the Future of Parkinson’s Disease, a first-of-its-kind national initiative offering genetic testing and counseling for people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) at no cost.

JScreen, a national non-profit public health initiative dedicated to preventing genetic diseases and hereditary cancer, educates communities across the United States on the importance of genetic screening for personal and family health. JScreen announced their support for National Cancer Control Month in April.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought the diagnostic industry to a new level of test manufacturing, and those capabilities have sparked at-home testing for a variety of other conditions and health metrics. 

Rare Patient Voice LLC, a leading patient recruitment firm, and MediFind, an advanced digital health platform helping people facing complex health challenges find better care, faster, published a report examining the current state of the diagnostic odyssey for patients with complex diseases during these times of global health issues.

Karmen Trzupek, MS, CGC, Director, Rare Disease Genetics and Clinical Trial Services at InformedDNA, talked to Med Ad News about an array of topics including the impact COVID-19 has had on clinical trials throughout the industry.

The help wanted signs are up across the biopharma industry. According to BioSpace, companies are opening and expanding facilities, which is good news for job seekers.

Two European patients were confirmed to have been re-infected with the coronavirus, raising concerns about people’s immunity to the virus as the world struggles to tame the pandemic.

The Consistent Testing Terminology Working Group published a white paper with industry-wide recommendations for precision medicine testing terms to be utilized in patient education and communication.

Roche struck a $1.7 billion cancer drug pact with Blueprint Medicines, as advances in genetic testing for rare mutations drive lucrative deals for expensive treatments.

Diabetes medications and blood-test supplies are sold, traded and donated on black markets because the U.S. healthcare system is not meeting patients’ needs, a study shows.