Today, Navigenics makes its fourth appearance on The Doctors TV show.

On today’s episode, Jillian Michaels receives her genetic results from Navigenics genetic counselor Shannon Kieran, M.S., CGC. Jillian, a celebrity personal trainer best known for her appearances on The Biggest Loser and Losing It With Jillian, was eager to find out her own genetic predispositions.

“I am a firm believer that knowledge is power and in preventative medicine, so I’m ready,” said Jillian.

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Today, the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) published findings from the Scripps Genomic Health Initiative, a research study sponsored by Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI) to assess the behavioral impact of personal genetic testing.

The Scripps Genomic Health Initiative provided study participants who were age 18 and older with personalized genetic risk assessments for more than 20 health conditions that may be changed by health screening and lifestyle, including diabetes, heart attack and some forms of cancer. The study was launched in 2008 and will assess changes in participants’ behaviors over a 20-year period. As a co-sponsor of the study, Navigenics provided the genetic testing used in the research.

Initial results from the Scripps Genomic Health Initiative (SGHI) are published in an article on the New England Journal of Medicine’s website, www.nejm.org. You’ll find Navigenics’ full press release on the initial findings here.

As the first major study of its kind, this research will undoubtedly influence the ongoing evolution of the personal genetic industry. Dr. Vance Vanier, CEO of Navigenics, joined SGHI researchers Drs. Eric Topol and Nicholas Schork in a webcast to discuss the research findings and implications on the industry.

You can view the webcast in the video above, and a full transcript of the webcast also follows below. Participants include:

Eric Topol, MD, PhD
Scripps Translational Science Institute, Scripps Health & The Scripps Research Institute
Author of the Scripps Genomic Health Initiative study

Nicholas Schork, PhD
Scripps Translational Science Institute & The Scripps Research Institute
Author of the Scripps Genomic Health Initiative study

Vance Vanier, MD
CEO of Navigenics

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At Navigenics, our team is used to being recognized in the fields of genetics and medicine. But being described as “hot”? That turf is, well, a little less familiar to most of us in the genetics world. So imagine our attentiveness when San Francisco-based magazine “7x7” revealed one of its most anticipated features of the year today – the “2009 Hot 20 under 40.” Among the publication’s list of the “most impressive San Franciscans:” Navigenics Chief Operating Officer Sean George, who was photographed with his 2-year-old daughter, Claire.

George, who has a Ph.D. in molecular genetics, was profiled alongside the likes of San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum and Ning co-founder Gina Bianchini, to name a few.

“What’s ‘hot’?” the 7x7 editors mused in describing their selections. “A pitcher with a killer arm, tech wizards bringing Wi-Fi to the world or a gender-bending performance artist? One thing’s for sure: Everyone below is under 40 and has a sense of self that belies their years. We’re just lucky enough to benefit from it.”

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Navigenics has a strong showing on Health Spottr’s Future Health 100 list. Health Spottr is a new media publishing company devoted to covering the latest in health care innovation and the top players in health care.  Among its new list of 100 influential health care providers, investors, innovators and executives are Navigenics leaders Dr. Jonathan “Jack” Lord and Dr. David Agus.

Dr. Jack Lord, CEO of Navigenics, is featured at number 19 for his commitment to quality improvement in health care. Dr. Lord discusses the importance of Navigenics’ genetic testing services in the future of health care. “These are all progressions on the same basic track of getting people to a place of sovereignty over their healthcare—putting them on the same level as their doctors in the decision-making. Navigenics represents the next step. We provide people with a science-based view of their future risks, then give them resources to understand how they might impact those risks.”

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The first consumer genetics conference gets underway in Boston today, bringing together leaders in the fields of genetic testing, health, genetics and law.

The Consumer Genetics Show was born out of the growing interest in personal genetic testing, and will address key issues in the field, including scientific advances, best practices, and how to navigate the healthcare system. Doctors will learn more about the genetic testing field and how they can help their patients decide which genetic test is best for them.

The Consumer Genetics Show has attracted a veritable who’s who of the personal genomics industry.

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What do scientists and rock stars have in common? On the surface, not a heck of a lot.

But on May 25, they’ll all be gracing the pages of GQ Magazine as part of a nationwide effort to recognize the achievements of some of today’s top scientific minds.

Among those featured in the “Rock Stars of Science” public service campaign is Dr. David Agus, who co-founded Navigenics with the overall goal of improving personal health. Dr. Agus is also a nationally recognized cancer researcher and physician with the University of Southern California.

Haven’t heard of him? That’s exactly the point of the Rock Stars of Science project.

Nearly three-fourths of Americans polled could not name a single living scientist in a 2006 survey commissioned by Research!America. A separate survey for Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry determined that Britney Spears is more influential than Stephen Hawking among most Americans.

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Heather Bonaguidi is making an effort to include more anti-oxidants and whole grains in her diet.

Rashaad Forehand is drinking less alcohol and cutting down on his ice cream intake.

These are the sorts of healthier choices we’re all told to make, and that many of us ignore. But Heather and Rashaad have extra motivation – they’ve learned about some of the personal health risks carried in their DNA.

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Navigenics is pleased to announce a new relationship with a national network of physicians who practice proactive, personalized medicine. Through the collaboration, the Navigenics genetic testing service will be made available to their patients, who number more than 100,000 nationwide. I’d like to share some of the information about this collaboration, as described in a news release issued today:

National Physician Group MDVIP Partners with Navigenics to Provide Personal Genetic Tests for Preventive Medicine Practice

Boca Raton, FL and Redwood Shores, CA – December 8 2008 – MDVIP, Inc., a leading national network of physicians dedicated to preventive and personalized healthcare, and Navigenics, Inc., a leading personal genomics testing company, today announced a first of its kind collaborative effort to integrate genomic-based preventive healthcare in physician offices. Through this initiative, Navigenics’ genomic testing service will be available to MDVIP affiliated physicians to help patients understand their genetic risk factors for disease and work with their doctors to develop individualized prevention plans.

Navigenics will provide MDVIP patients and their affiliated physicians with insight into their personal genetic predisposition for developing certain medical conditions where primary or secondary prevention could improve health outcomes. The Navigenics test will identify individuals’ genetic markers for developing such conditions as type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart attack, and celiac disease. Working with their personal MDVIP physician and Navigenics’ board-certified Genetic Counselors, individuals can chart and implement a personalized wellness course to help decrease their overall risk, delay disease onset or prevent it altogether.

“We have for many years been closely watching the field of genomic testing evolve into a tool that can enhance and inform the practice of preventive medicine,” said Edward Goldman, M.D., CEO of MDVIP. “We believe that Navigenics’ preventive genomics service has the potential to be an innovation that could significantly enhance patient care.”

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When the scientific debate over personal genetic services got a little heated in March, scientists at Navigenics decided to weigh in with our own perspective. Our response is now in print—and the conversation continues.

This particular debate started when prominent federal and international scientists published an article in the American Journal of Human Genetics, criticizing the personalized genetics industry. The study’s authors discussed a number of personal genomics companies, and mentioned Navigenics briefly. The bulk of the study, however, focused on the genetic associations used by seven other personalized genetics companies – a lineup that did not include Navigenics – and found weaknesses in their scientific underpinnings. The researchers further claimed that there isn’t enough scientific evidence to make genomic profiles useful in measuring common disease risk or developing steps for disease prevention.

Scientists at Navigenics read the study, and wanted to set the record straight. 

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DNA took to the prime-time airwaves last week, when the acclaimed PBS program NOVA scienceNOW looked at the topic of personal genetic services. Navigenics was featured prominently in the segment. Dietrich Stephan,our co-founder and Chief Science Officer, sat down with host Neil deGrasse Tyson to explain how the process works. After Tyson chose to explore his own DNA using the Navigenics service, Elissa Levin, our Director of Genetic Counseling, helped Tyson understand his results.

The segment offers a balanced look at genetic services, addressing some of the broader critiques about genetic testing head-on. We are honored that a scientist such as deGrasse Tyson, a prominent astrophysicist, weighed those concerns and still saw the value of revealing his own DNA insights.

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