Clinical laboratory diagnostics company Quest Diagnostics announced it has acquired Blueprint Genetics, a Helsinki, Finland-based molecular diagnostics company specializing in inherited rare genetic diseases terms of the all-cash transaction were not disclosed.
“The great challenge with genetic testing is generating quality, actionable and broadly accessible insights from vast quantities of sequenced genetic data,” said Steve Rusckowski, chairman, president, and CEO of Quest Diagnostics in a press release. “Blueprint Genetics has developed a proven model for delivering highly specialized genetic insights that we believe we can scale to serve new patient populations with unmet clinical needs.”
According to Blueprint Genetics, which also has offices in Seattle and Dubai, it currently serves customers in more than 70 countries around the world. Founded in 2012, the company leverages next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology and its proprietary bioinformatics to provide whole exome sequencing, single-gene tests, and variant-specific testing across a range of inherited conditions and diseases within cardiology, ophthalmology, gastroenterology, hematology, and cancer, among others.
Within its 14 medical specialties, Blueprint provides 3,900 targeted single-gene and more than 200 panel tests. Gene variant interpretation involves identifying associations between gene variants and disease or treatment response.
“Blueprint Genetics prides itself on resolving the most challenging genetic and rare disease cases to improve patient outcomes,” said Tommi Lehtonen, who will to continue to lead the company as vice president and general manager. “Teaming up with Quest will allow us to extend our capabilities in the United States as well as in Canada and other countries where we already have strong and growing client relationships.”
While Blueprint had recently opened its office in Seattle to provide better access to the U.S. market, rolling its products and services into Quest, which boasts more than 6,600 patient access points in the U.S., now provides it with comprehensive reach. According to Quest, its services touch approximately 30% of the country’s population in any given year and can be accessed by more than 90% of insured lives.
For Quest, the acquisition will strengthen the capabilities of its Advanced Diagnostics offering, which combines state-of-the-art technologies, such as NGS, with higher-order interpretative expertise and digital customer enablement.
“As the leader in Advanced Diagnostics, Quest Diagnostics understands that robust bioinformatics and consultative expertise are essential to fast, accurate, and cost-efficient data interpretation,” said Carrie Eglinton Manner, senior vice president, Advanced Diagnostics at Quest. “Blueprint Genetics brings to Quest a proven platform in specialty genetics—especially gene variant interpretation and reporting—that powerfully differentiates our Advanced Diagnostics offering.”
