Genelex Corporation Defends Consumers' Right to Obtain DNA In...( Company founder urges government to ...)

Company founder urges government to apply rating system to home DNA tests

to protect against 'unscrupulous and misrepresented tests'

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Should consumers have a right to obtain information regarding their personal health through home DNA tests? According to Genelex founder, Howard Coleman, the answer is: absolutely. "I agree with scientific opinion that tens of thousands of lives can be saved each year by DNA testing that reveal potential adverse drug reactions."

Coleman believes that such specific and accurate information will be the foundation for personalized medical treatment in the 21st century. "One pill does not fit all," Coleman states.

Genelex Corporation sells home DNA tests that analyze an individual's ability to process the most commonly prescribed and over the counter medication. "More than half the population has DNA alterations that can render many medications ineffective, or worse, trigger side effects that can prove to be fatal," Coleman said. Some common medications depend upon an individual's DNA for effectiveness and safety include Tamoxifen, Coumadin, Codeine and many others.

Coleman testified Tuesday before the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology in Washington DC (http://www.ostp.gov/PCAST/pcast.html). While Coleman supports consumers' access to home DNA tests, he shares some of the Council's concerns that there are unscrupulous companies that don't provide accurate or useful testing. Coleman suggested that companies who sell home DNA tests should, in cooperation with government agencies, implement a rating system that describes the certainty of their predictive value. "People have a fundamental right to learn and control this information. A rating system would allow people to decide if a particular test meets their needs."

Genelex Corporation was founded in 1987, and provides a
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