PlumCare Partners with PBKM FamiCord to Bring Family DNA Testing to Europe

WOODBRIDGE, Conn. and WARSAW, Poland, Oct. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- PlumCare, a DNA advisory service for families, today announced a partnership with PBKM FamiCord, the European leader in cord blood stem cell banking.  The new collaboration will deliver the first-ever lifetime DNA testing and advisory services to help families take control of their health. The service is called PlumCare DNA Advisor - it provides families one place for DNA testing, genetic advisory services and the ongoing monitoring of scientific advances relevant to them.

"PlumCare DNA Advisor is like having a friend who's an expert and monitors the latest advances in our understanding of the human genome. The DNA Advisor has a full image of your DNA and reaches out to you every time there's a new breakthrough that could impact your health, explaining it in easy to understand terms. They help guide you and your healthcare provider when needed to manage your family's health with insights in a way never before possible," said Petros Tsipouras, Co-Founder and CEO of PlumCare.

PlumCare combines the simplicity of a saliva-based DNA test, whole exome sequencing (the standard for a more complete image of a person's DNA), data from close family members (important to data interpretation), family medical history, external research, ongoing monitoring of scientific advances and analysis. The resulting insights and advice help families to manage their well-being across generations.

"We've heard from our customers that they are interested in DNA testing services," said Jakub Baran CEO of PBKM FamiCord. "Earlier DNA testing offers have been interesting, but only provide a snapshot of human DNA understanding at that moment in time. They did not consider the needs of new families. We've been looking for a way to more fully deliver on the promise of genetic insights and do it in a way that caters to the families over the course of their lives."

Initial children's reports provide insights about hearing, cardiac, connective tissue, metabolic, seizures, cancers and response to anesthesia. Adults will also receive information focused on cardiac, connective tissue, cancer and response to medications and anesthesia.

Sending DNA samples is only the beginning of a lifelong relationship. With a PlumCare DNA Advisor subscription, all participating family members can look forward to valuable annual reports and notifications. When new discoveries are made, each individual can take full advantage of what evolving knowledge and technology can mean to them. When appropriate, PlumCare DNA Advisor will provide genetic counseling and referrals to local specialists who can translate these insights into better life choices.

About PlumCare

PlumCare was created for families by two eminent clinical geneticists, Dr. Paul Billings and Dr. Petros Tsipouras. PlumCare DNA Advisor provides access to the progress in genetics through DNA testing, analysis, insights, and learnings from world-class research. The service combines the simplicity of saliva-based whole exome DNA testing, data from all participating family members (family trios or more), family medical history, external research and analysis. With a subscription, the service provides ongoing monitoring of scientific advances with annual reports and notifications. The insights, advice and access to local specialists help families to manage unexpected or chronic illnesses and their well-being across generations for a lifetime. Learn more at www.plumcarehealth.com.

About PBKM FamiCord

Polski Bank Komórek Macierzystych (PBKM, Polish Stem Cell Bank) leads FamiCord Group which is international group of cord blood banks. FamiCord is by far the European leader in newly banked cord blood units and currently stores more than 150,000 cord blood units. The main area of PBKM business is family cord blood banking, which gives the access to stem cell treatment when it is needed in the family. FamiCord operates in Poland, Spain, Turkey, Hungary, Romania, Italy, and Latvia. In most of these markets the Group is the market leader. Company services are also available in Sweden, United Kingdom, Ukraine and Serbia. Additionally PBKM invests in manufacturing and development of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMP) which are one of the most promising area of new therapies in medicine. Since 2016 PBKM is listed on Warsaw Stock Exchange.

SOURCE PlumCare