23andMe has entered the space of genomic infertility testing, teaming up with Celmatix – a New York City precision medicine startup centered on women’s health.
Infertility is a difficult condition to quantify: Many struggle to conceive without understanding the underlying cause, and the tests to determine it can be drawn out and inconclusive. The idea to create a genomic intervention could save many days and dollars for women aiming to conceive.
Celmatix has recorded more than 5,200 genetic biomarkers related to fertility, and uses predictive analytics to ultimately help women conceive faster.
Combining that with 23andMe’s dense genetic database and research service, and the genetic underpinnings for infertility should be easier to quantify, the companies said in a statement. 23andMe, it should be noted, has more than 1 million users, and some 80 percent have allowed their data to be outsourced for research. It has partnerships in place with a number of big pharma players to dole outs genomic data.
“The scale of the genetic data that 23andMe has amassed is unprecedented for the field of reproductive medicine,” Celmatix founder and CEO Piraye Yurttas Beim said in a statement.
Fertility and women’s health has been important to 23andMe’s research mission, said Emily Drabant Conley, vice president of business development at the company.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
“We chose Celmatix as our partner for fertility research because they are the leader in the field of personalized reproductive medicine,” Conley said in the statement. “Through their big data platform and comprehensive clinic network they have amassed a deep clinical database on infertility treatments – combining that platform with 23andMe’s massive genetic database will create a uniquely powerful engine to fuel discoveries on the genetics of infertility.
