Strand Life Sciences, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd and a prominent global provider of genomic and bioinformatic solutions, has unveiled its latest prenatal screening and diagnostics portfolio featuring two groundbreaking technologies—CNSeq and MaatriSeq. These innovations are specifically tailored to meet the unique requirements of the Indian community.
CNSeq utilizes cutting-edge Next Generation Sequencing technology for precise identification of aneuploidies and copy number variations, surpassing traditional cytogenetic and molecular techniques. With its proprietary software, CNSeq offers unmatched precision in detecting CNVs.
MaatriSeq, on the other hand, is the first Non-Invasive Prenatal Screening (NIPS) solution validated on the advanced IlluminaR NovaSeqTM X Plus sequencing platform. This technology ensures highly accurate and cost-effective screening, making it accessible to a wider population in India. MaatriSeq demonstrates exceptional sensitivity and specificity in identifying fetal chromosomal abnormalities, outperforming existing techniques.
Both of these advanced tests developed by Strand Life Sciences are based on a genomic analysis pipeline specifically designed and validated for Indian samples and conditions.
Ramesh Hariharan, CEO and Co-founder of Strand Life Sciences, remarked, “Strand continues to lead the way in advanced genomic solutions, redefining standards in genetic diagnostics. With these innovations, we aim to support the Indian Government’s efforts in reducing the burden of rare diseases.”
India, with the highest rate of Down Syndrome at 1 in 830 births, can benefit significantly from prenatal diagnosis for detecting Down Syndrome and other fetal abnormalities.
While traditional screening tests have limitations such as lower detection rates and higher false positives, sequencing-based NIPS offers superior accuracy, early detection, and safety advantages, particularly for high-risk individuals.
The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) strongly advocates for NIPS over traditional screening methods for all pregnant women with singleton and twin gestations for fetal trisomies 21, 18, and 13.
Prof Dr. Narendra Malhotra, Senior Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist and past president of The Federation of Obstetric and Gynecological Societies of India (FOGSI), emphasized the importance of advancing prenatal genetic screening in India. He highlighted that MaatriSeq NIPS, introduced by Strand Life Sciences on a high throughput sequencing platform, offers superior quality and affordability, facilitating widespread implementation.
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