(Newswire.net — August 28, 2020) — Phosphorus is an innovative company working towards improving people’s health using proactive genetic testing. Although much of their business model relies on licensing their technology to third parties such as hospital labs and specialty clinics, the development of this technology can help assess the risk of and prevent conditions with well-known genetic predispositions such as cancer and arrhythmia.
Phosphorus’s Mission
Alexander Bisignano, the founder of Phosphorus, initially created a company called Recombine, which worked with reproductive health using genetic tests to problem-solve and prevent people from passing on conditions such as cystic fibrosis and Tay-Sachs. When he sold this company and created his spin-out, Phosphorus, he expanded into testing for additional maladies. Finding the genes for a particular disease allows people to make a plan to prevent or manage it before they start presenting symptoms, and it is too late to do anything.
How It Works
Although other DNA testing companies such as 23andMe exist, Phosphorus differs in that it provides a more comprehensive study of a person’s risks of a wider variety of conditions. While other companies may focus on heritage as much as or more than diseases, Phosphorus is disease-centered and provides more medical information. The PhosphorusONE test examines over 400 genes and focuses on widely understood conditions to help clients in the here and now. It also screens for drug reactions to help people find the medications that are most likely to be effective for them without as much trial and error. The test also analyzes the client’s ideal lifestyle in terms of nutrition, sleep, and movement based on their genetics. Phosphorus offers four different tests, three of which cost $249 while the last one costs $399. The $399 test offers more comprehensive testing, but the $249 test still screens over 200 genes.
Phosphorus’s direct-to-consumer business is not an in-person clinic. Instead, they send a kit for clients to take a swab of their saliva and send it back to the company. Within a few days, Phosphorus diagnostics technology analyzes the DNA and generates a report. Specialists can then help clients develop a plan for managing their potential conditions.
Phosphorus and the Current Medical Climate
Many people are relatively unfamiliar with genetic testing in a medical context and may be skeptical. Less than 4% of Americans have access to this kind of testing, and most are uneducated on the subject. Although some tests, such as those involving neurodegenerative disorders, are becoming more popular, this science is still relatively new. It does not necessarily occur to people as an option for catching severe diseases early on. Medical practitioners also usually do not recommend genetic testing until the condition has already advanced to the point where it is symptomatic. Phosphorus hopes to change this as their testing becomes more well-known so they can help people receive more personalized healthcare and improve wellness overall. They have worked to obtain universal authorization from physicians for everyone.
Phosphorus’s technology and software can identify potentially problematic genes before medical conditions have a chance to present themselves. This knowledge can help people take proactive steps to prevent the development of disorders through counseling and problem-solving. Although most testing is outsourced to private hospitals and clinics, Phosphorus’s central mission of improving wellness through genetic testing remains the same. They hope to expand the population’s percentage with access to these tests and work towards enhanced disease risk assessment and greater accuracy in prescribing appropriate medications.