HudsonAlpha, Redstone Federal Credit Union and Kailos Genetics team up to bring free breast and ovarian cancer genetic testing to North Alabama
Huntsville, Ala. — HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology announced today that it will extend its unique breast and ovarian cancer genetic risk testing initiative Information is Power for a second year. The announcement was made at HudsonAlpha’s annual Tie the Ribbons luncheon to support breast and ovarian cancer research.
The initiative was set to wrap up in October of this year, but thanks to a generous sponsorship from Redstone Federal Credit Union, the initiative will be extended and expanded. Starting on October 29, 2016; free testing will be available for one year to 30-year-old women and men who reside in Madison, Jackson, Limestone, Marshall and Morgan Counties. Genetic testing company Kailos Genetics is a collaborator in the project and developed the genetic screening tool.
Redstone Federal Credit Union said sponsoring the initiative was important to them because of the positive impact that it will have on the community.
“We understand the importance of being knowledgeable about your health and risks to your health,” said Joseph Newberry, President and CEO of RFCU. “We also understand that for many in our community, access to such information can be challenging. This is Redstone Federal Credit Union’s way of helping to build a healthy and strong community and we are happy to do it.’’
The test screens for mutations in the well-known BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, as well as additional genes linked to other cancers. If you are 19 or older and reside in the five counties included in the initiative, the test will be available at a reduced cost of $129.
“This type of testing is traditionally done in a context where a person has a family history of cancer, and this initiative makes testing available to people in the community regardless of family history,” said Kimberly Strong, PhD, HudsonAlpha faculty investigator and director of the Ethics and Genomics Program. “Now with Redstone’s support, we are able to offer free testing to 30-year-old women and men in the surrounding counties as well.”
Kailos said offering free testing to residents in five counties is one step closer to achieving their goal of population-wide genetic testing, which would allow everyone to have access to information about their genes.
“Our mission is to give people insight into their genetic data to help them make smarter, more informed decisions for their health,” said Troy Moore, chief scientific officer of Kailos Genetics. “Now that we’ve started to see the life-changing impacts of the Information is Power initiative, we are excited to give even more people access to these benefits.”
Phase two of Information is Power will begin October 29, 2016, at which time 30-year-old men and women who reside in the five counties will be able to order a free test kit. To learn more, visit https://www.hudsonalpha.org/
About HudsonAlpha: HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology is a nonprofit institute dedicated to innovating in the field of genomic technology and sciences across a spectrum of biological challenges. Opened in 2008, its mission is four-fold: sparking scientific discoveries that can impact human health and well-being; bringing genomic medicine into clinical care; fostering life sciences entrepreneurship and business growth; and encouraging the creation of a genomics-literate workforce and society. The HudsonAlpha biotechnology campus consists of 152 acres nestled within Cummings Research Park, the nation’s second largest research park. Designed to be a hothouse of biotech economic development, HudsonAlpha’s state-of-the-art facilities co-locate nonprofit scientific researchers with entrepreneurs and educators. The relationships formed on the HudsonAlpha campus encourage collaborations that produce advances in medicine and agriculture. Under the leadership of Dr. Richard M. Myers, a key collaborator on the Human Genome Project, HudsonAlpha has become a national and international leader in genetics and genomics research and biotech education, and includes 32 diverse biotech companies on campus. To learn more about HudsonAlpha, visit: http://hudsonalpha.org/.
About Kailos: Kailos Genetics is a trusted provider of personalized health information. Addressing unmet needs of healthcare consumers and their families is Kailos’ primary reason for being. With its proprietary and robust DNA sequencing enrichment and laboratory information system, TargetRichTM, Kailos helps make personalized medicine affordable and accessible for everyone through the Kailos test. Founded in 2010, and based in Huntsville’s HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Kailos is committed to providing a simple, trusted and affordable way to help individuals understand what’s in their genes. To learn more, visit www.kailosgenetics.com/about-kailos.
About Redstone: With more than $4.4 billion in assets, Redstone Federal Credit Union is the largest member-owned financial institution in Alabama and Tennessee and one of the 25 largest federal credit unions in the nation by assets. Based in Huntsville, Alabama, Redstone Federal Credit Union serves nearly 388,000 members. Chartered on November 28, 1951, Redstone Federal Credit Union has proudly served its members in the Tennessee Valley area for 65 years and has 25 conveniently located branches across North Alabama and Tennessee. Redstone Federal Credit Union provides a level of service that is not generally available at other financial institutions through its philosophy of – People Helping People.
HudsonAlpha Media Contact:
Margetta Thomas
mthomas@hudsonalpha.org
25-327-0425
Kailos Media Contact:
Christina Kendall, Dodge Communications
ckendall@dodgecommunications.
770.576.2545
Redstone Media Contact:
Patricia Lloyd
Plloyd@redfcu.org
256-722-3735
