Eastern Europe breakthrough for biotech firm
PREMAITHA Health has signed two new service contracts with customers in Armenia and Moldova for its IONA test – the non-invasive prenatal screening test (NIPT) for Down’s Syndrome on pregnant women.
In yet another breakthrough for the AIM-listed Manchester biotech company, the contracts follow the recommendation two weeks ago by the National Screening Committee in the UK that IONA should be routinely offered to the NHS on high risk pregnant women as part of the standard fetal anomaly screening programme.
The company has already signed distribution deals for IONA to laboratories in France and Greece.
Premaitha chief executive Dr Stephen Little said: “We are pleased to see our international footprint increase as demand for NIPT using the IONA test grows.
“The high clinical standards and excellent customer support offered by Premaitha’s screening services team, coupled with the proven performance of the IONA test means that we are able to provide pregnant women with the best possible screening test.”
Premaitha initiated its Care Quality Commission (CQC) registered NIPT screening service in July 2015 and in October opened a dedicated facility in response to customer demand for the IONA test.
The laboratory provides a routine NIPT screening service for many of its customers as well as an interim solution for those keen to start offering NIPT whilst establishing its own IONA laboratory in-house.
