image: The GENOLIFE laboratory installed with equipment to facilitate NIFTY® tests
Credit: Genolife / BGI Genomics
On October 16, 2023, BGI Genomics completed the first-ever NIFTY® technology transfer program in Vietnam. NIFTY®, its proprietary non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) product, will be utilized by the GENOLIFE Genetic Technology Institute laboratory based in Hanoi.
Covering an area of over 1,000 square meters, GENOLIFE is the country's largest gene sequencing laboratory and leading provider of genetic analysis tests, including hereditary cancer gene testing. All equipment systems for performing CE-IVD compliant NIFTY® testing are directly installed by BGI Genomics experts accompanied by a rigorous training program.
In line with Vietnam’s Health Ministry recommendation to replace or supplement pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) and free beta human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) tests with NIPT, this cooperation between GENOLIFE and BGI Genomics will provide Vietnamese women with NIFTY® tests which are a non-invasive method to screen for trisomies such as trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome), trisomy 18 (Edwards Syndrome) and trisomy 13 (Patau Syndrome).
Oraphan Wanacharoen, a BGI Genomics Field Application Scientist involved in training GENOLIFE, commented, “We are committed to make genetic testing affordable and accessible to all of Vietnam. Our NIFTY® technology is highly accurate and fast. This will greatly enhance the detection of trisomies and boost reproductive health in the nation.”
This technology transfer enhances reproductive health outcomes in the country and enables Vietnamese women to access one of the most comprehensive NIPT on the market, with the ability to screen 118 chromosomal abnormality syndromes for the fetus while optimizing time and testing costs.
Anna Zhao, BGI Genomics Southeast Asia Sales Manager, notes that: “Given NIFTY® is CE-IVD certified, coupled with its high sensitivity and specificity, we are confident that Vietnamese women will choose NIFTY® as a routine test during pregnancy.”
About BGI Genomics
BGI Genomics, headquartered in Shenzhen, China, is the world's leading integrated solutions provider of precision medicine. Our services cover more than 100 countries and regions, involving more than 2,300 medical institutions. In July 2017, as a subsidiary of BGI Group, BGI Genomics (300676.SZ) was officially listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange