MetaScreen is a comprehensive set of metabolic screening test specially designed for both newborn babies and adults. The service can detect as many as 110 inborn errors of metabolism from urine samples. Metabolic disorders are usually not apparent at the time of birth. If left undiagnosed and untreated, the baby can develop irreversible damages such as neurological impairment and physical deformities. Hence, early detection is critical in preventing adverse effects and providing essential care. Most countries in the European Union and some parts of Asia and United States have already made newborn screening compulsory.
Just as newborn screening is widely recognised by medical professionals as an essential healthcare service , the fast-rising growing middle class in India are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of their children’s healthcare needs as shown by the 2007–2011 Compounded Annual Growth Rate of annual incremental storage units for private cord blood banks of 35%. MetaScreen is a natural extension of Indian parents’ desire for better healthcare options for their children. Providing parents with early critical information on the health status of the child will help ensure the future welfare of the child.
One of the unique benefits of MetaScreen is its non-invasive nature. Parents no longer have to subject their newborn babies to painful blood extraction for metabolic screening. Instead, MetaScreen allows the screening to be performed using urine sample after the first 48 hours of the birth of the baby. The urine sample is collected on special filter papers provided, which can be conveniently left in the baby’s diaper for collectionurine sample collected on a filter paper provided, which can be easily left in the baby’s diaper after the first 48 hours of the birth of the baby. Present metabolic Metabolic tests available in the market today are conducted on blood samples by Tandem Mass Spectrometry (MS-MS) for analysis of blood samples. MS-MSThis technology uses an average of a single analyte (biomarker) for a single disorder or at time a single analyte for multiple disordersof a single analyte profile to identify a single disorder. As a result, the accuracy level of the test is relatively low and a second tier test using Gas Chromatograph & Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS) is further required to confirm the results and accurately pin point the diagnosisand a confirmatory test using Gas Chromatograph & Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS) is required to confirm the results. MetaScreen on the other hand uses GC-MS as part of itswith a Planar Diagnostic Toolmethod which looks for multiple analytes (biomarkers). This tool uses at times up to 4 analyte profiles to determine a single disorder, which significantly increasinges the accuracy and reliability of the test results.
Mr Jeremy Yee, Executive Director and Group CEO of Cordlife Group Limited said: “At the heart of our new service MetaScreen is helping parents secure their child’s future well-being. Cordlife, with its expertise and access to best-available technology, allows them to do exactly this, preparing for any eventuality and safeguarding their family’s health.”
On the occasion of their launch Mr. Meghnath Roy Chowdhury confirmed ,”Understanding your health is necessary for optimal living. As with most disease states, preventive care and the ability to predict what we are at risk for at the earliest stages is ideal. With the ability to test biochemical markers for individual risk factor assessment and implement interventions to improve or prevent disease state, the path to optimal health becomes clearer. We are happy to bring this advanced technology to India which is widely accepted over 52 countries over the world. This will take forward our vision to provide superior mother and child care services for the community in large
Cordlife offers MetaScreen through their strategic collaboration with Navigene Genetic Science, a genetic diagnostic and research companyResearch Company. The service will be made available by Cordlife India through their existing collaborative network of hospitals, and physicians.
About CordLife Group Limited (Bloomberg Stock Code: CLGL)
Homegrown in Singapore and incorporated in 2001, Cordlife Group Limited (“CGL” or “the Group”) is a multi-product healthcare company catering to the mother and child segment and a leading cord blood and tissue banking services provider. Listed on the Mainboard of the Singapore Exchange and amongst the first private cord blood banks in Asia, CGL has established a dominant market leader position in Singapore. Apart from its AABB accredited (formerly known as the American Association of Blood Banks) flagship facility in Singapore, the Group also operates a wide network of private cord blood and tissue processing facilities in Hong Kong, India, Indonesia and the Philippines. CGL collects, processes, tests and cryopreserves stem cells from the cord blood and umbilical cord of a child at birth, allowing customers to preserve their child’s precious lifesaving resource for treatment later in his or her life if their child so requires. The Group also has a 10% direct stake in China Cord Blood Corporation – a top operator in China holding majority shares in Beijing, Guangdong and Zhejiang Cord Blood banks, as well as an approximately 20% share in Shandong Cord Blood Bank. For more information on the CordLife group of companies, please visit www.cordlife.com.
About CordLife Sciences India Pvt. Ltd
Cordlife India is AABB accredited and the most advanced umbilical cord and cord blood processing, testing and cryopreservation facility in the country, with a storage capacity of 150,000 cord blood units scalable by another few lakh units.The state-of-the-art laboratory is equipped with the latest and the most modern equipment in a clean-room infrastructure to ensure that stem cells are processed under the most sterile conditions. Their natural calamity proof building was also built with continuous power backup and round-the-clock surveillance system. The Company operates more than 50 centers in India, making it one of the largest stem cell banking companies locally. In 2011, Cordlife India successfully released a stem cell unit for the first ever mixed stem cell transplant in India. Visit www.cordlifeindia.com for more information.
