Psynomics has announced that two tests for bipolar disorder are available for purchase on its website, along with descriptions, references and instructions
Either patients or their physicians may order the simple, non-invasive kits to collect DNA samples from saliva and the results are reported confidentially to the patient's physician.
Doctors are constantly making diagnostic and treatment decisions based on limited and imperfect information.
The tests are designed to provide objective data for use by doctors in combination with their other evaluations to arrive at a more timely and accurate diagnosis of a patient's condition and the right therapy.
A recent article in the magazine Science, reviewing the company and its science, announced that Psynomics was the first company to venture into the new field of psychiatric gene testing.
Psynome tests for two mutations of the GRK3 gene that have been associated with bipolar disorder in multiple studies of hundreds of patients and Psynome2 tests for serotonin transporter (SSRI) response as a predictor of patient response to serotonin based drugs, the most commonly prescribed drug therapies in psychiatry today.
Psynomics's lab work is highly reproducible and performed in a Clia- and state-regulated laboratory.
"GRK3 is one of what are likely many genes that are involved in the cause of bipolar disorder," said John Kelsoe, Psynomics chief scientific officer.
"Alone it may apply to only a subset of patients and explain only a small portion of the disease.
"However, given the average seven-year lapse between first symptoms and accurate diagnosis of bipolar disorder, GRK3 and other gene tests can now provide additional data to aid the doctor in making the correct diagnosis of bipolar disorder earlier in the course of a patient's illness.
"Psynomics is presently building its panel of genes and plans to work with pharmaceutical companies to make the panel more informative for more patients".
In addition to being the CSO of Psynomics and a professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego, Kelsoe is also a practicing psychiatrist who sees and treats bipolar patients every week.
