Category Archives: News

deCODE receives California Clinical Laboratory License

Posted by Edward Farmer under Ancestry, Breast Cancer, Genetic Research, Genetic Tests, News, deCODE diagnostics, deCODE genetics, deCODEme on Feb 19
Californians can now enjoy the benefits of deCODE’s market-leading DNA-based disease risk assessment tests and pioneering deCODEme™ genome scans

Californians can now enjoy the benefits of deCODE’s market-leading DNA-based disease risk assessment tests and pioneering deCODEme™ genome scans

deCODE genetics today announced that it has received a clinical laboratory license from the State of California. The quality and scale of deCODE’s in-house, CLIA-registered genotyping laboratory underpins deCODE’s global leadership in the discovery of variations in the sequence of the human genome conferring risk of common diseases. The same staff and facility also process deCODE’s DNA-based reference laboratory tests for gauging individual risk of major public health challenges ranging from heart attack to breast cancer, as well as the company’s pioneering deCODEme™ scans, the world’s first personal genome analysis and focused disease area scans. With this license, California residents can now benefit from the unrivaled quality of deCODE products for understanding risk and, working with their physicians, empowering the prevention of common diseases.
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Understanding risk of Heart disease and a special offer for American Heart Month

Posted by Armann Kojic under Genetic Research, Genetic Tests, News, deCODE genetics, deCODEme on Feb 6

American Heart Month & the deCODEme Cardio Scan

deCODEme takes on Heart Disease in February

February is American Heart Month. With heart disease being the leading cause of death in the United States it is important to assess your genetic risk of developing Cardiovascular conditions. To mark this we have decided that during the month of February our deCODEme Cardio Scan™ will be offered for a promotional price of $100.

deCODEme Cardio Scan enables individuals to better understand their inherited risk of heart attack, stroke and atrial fibrillation, intracranial and abdominal aortic aneurysm, and venous thromboembolism.

deCODEme Cardio Scan

Genetics contribute to the risk of Coronary heart disease and heart attacks

Coronary heart disease is a progressive disease that begins early in life but symptoms generally do not appear until middle age or later. Coronary heart disease is the main cause of death in the developed countries and it is estimated that over 1.35 million North Americans will as a result of coronary heart disease, have a heart attack in the year 2008.

Several studies have found evidence of a genetic contribution to CHD and heart attacks. Two common genetic variants have been discovered that are associated with an increased risk of heart attack; one variant near the CDKN2A/2B genes on chromosome 9 and another in the CELSR2/PSRC1 genes on chromosome 1. The variant near the CDKN2A/2B genes is a particularly strong risk factor for early-onset heart attacks (occurring earlier than 50 years of age in men and 60 years of age in women).

Adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle can reduce risk

Even though age, gender, and family history are unmodifiable risk factors for coronary heart disease and heart attacks, the risk of developing CHD and eventually a heart attack can be reduced with a lifestyle that includes physical activity, a heart-healthy diet, and no smoking.

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The Martha Stewart Show & heart disease prevention

Posted by Armann Kojic under Genetic Tests, News, deCODE genetics on Feb 4
Martha Stewart at the deCODE laboratories

Martha Stewart at the deCODE laboratories

On Thursday, February 5th, just ahead of Friday’s annual focus on women’s heart health awareness, deCODE CEO Kari Stefansson is scheduled to appear live on The Martha Stewart Show, the nationally syndicated lifestyle series hosted by Martha Stewart. The discussion will focus on how understanding the inherited risk factors measured by the deCODEme™ full genome scan and the new Cardio and Cancer Scans may empower people to better protect their health. Those unable to watch Thursday’s show live can find a replay of the segment on www.marthastewart.com or on www.decodeme.com.

“As the people who discovered the highest impact genetic risk factors for heart attack and stroke, this is our way of encouraging people to gain a better understanding of their cardiovascular risk. Because these diseases occur at the interface between genes and the environment, this is empowering information that may help people to take action to effectively reduce the likelihood of developing these diseases. We are also pleased to have the opportunity to talk about our scans with Martha Stewart in this month devoted to increasing the awareness of heart disease. Heart disease remains the leading killer of women as well as men, but there is a lot we can all do, working on our own and with our doctors, to reduce our risk and to stay healthier longer,” said Kari Stefansson, CEO of deCODE.

You can watch deCODEme genetic tests on The Martha Stewart Show by clicking on this link.

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deCODE genetics introduces deCODEme Cardio and deCODEme Cancer

Posted by Gisli Arnason under Genetic Tests, News, deCODE genetics on Jan 22
deCODE genetics introduces new genetic tests, Cardio Scan and Cancer Scan

deCODE Complete Scan, Cardio Scan and Cancer Scan.

Through deCODEme™, the world’s first retail genome analysis service, deCODE genetics today announced the launch of the first focused genetic scans for assessing personal risk of several major cardiovascular diseases and common cancers. deCODEme Cardio™, which detects genetic risk factors for Heart Attack, Atrial Fibrillation, Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), and several other conditions, is offered at an introductory price of $195. deCODEme Cancer measures genetic risk factors for Prostate Cancer, Lung Cancer, Bladder Cancer, Skin Cancer and Colorectal Cancers, as well as the common form of Breast Cancer, at an introductory price of $225. Both can be ordered as a bundle for $350.

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New genetic variants influencing Body Mass Index, Weight, and risk of Obesity

Posted by Edward Farmer under Genetic Research, Genetic Tests, News on Dec 14
deCODE scientists have discovered new genetic variants influencing BMI, weight and risk of obesity

deCODE scientists have discovered new genetic variants influencing BMI, weight and risk of obesity

As we all know to well, for decades the scales have been tipping in favor of obesity. The epidemic of obesity in many industrialized countries has been driven by many factors, including easy access to fast food, an increasingly sedentary lifestyle, insufficient daily physical activity. All of this while our genomes have evolved on a background of scarcity, often putting a premium on the ability of the body to turn food into fat and store energy for leaner times. A paper published today by deCODE scientists and academic colleagues from the US and Europe provide a significant advance in our knowledge of the underlying genetics and biology of obesity, providing new information for understanding and addressing obesity and perhaps nudging the scales the other way.
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deCODE to integrate new genetic risk factor for Type 2 Diabetes into its deCODEme™ Personal Genome Scan Service

Posted by Gisli Arnason under Genetic Research, Genetic Tests, News, deCODE diagnostics, deCODE genetics on Dec 8
Prince Joachim of Denmark and Princess Marie of Denmark along with deCODE scientist Unnur Thorsteinsdottir during an official visit to deCODE laboratories earlier this year

Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Crown Princess Marie of Denmark along with deCODE scientist Unnur Thorsteinsdottir during an official visit to deCODE laboratories earlier this year.

Reykjavik, ICELAND, December 8, 2008 – deCODE genetics (Nasdaq:DCGN) today announced the discovery by an international consortium of scientists from deCODE and major European and US academic institutions of a single letter variation in the human genome (SNP) that is associated with increased fasting glucose levels and risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). deCODE will employ its CLIA-registered genotyping laboratory and existing testing platform to swiftly integrate the finding into its deCODEme™ personal genome scan, and to assess the addition of this new variant to the company’s deCODE T2™ reference laboratory test for assessing individual risk of type 2 diabetes.
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The Breast Cancer Network of Strength celebrates 30 years of invaluable support

Posted by Martin Regal under Genetic Research, News, deCODE diagnostics, deCODEme on Oct 16
Breast Cancer Network of Strength was started by Mimi Kaplan and Ann Marcou

Breast Cancer Network of Strength was started by Mimi Kaplan and Ann Marcou.

Attitudes towards breast cancer have changed quite a lot over the past three decades, a fact evidenced by the outpouring of response when stars such as Olivia Newton-John, Kylie Minogue, and, most recently, Christina Applegate, went public with their personal struggles with the disease. But this change in attitude is also reflected in many other ways and not least in the adoption of a new name for the patient advocacy and support organization that until now called itself Y-ME? Tomorrow, a gala event held at the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago will celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the evolution of Y-ME, 30 years on, into the Breast Cancer Network of Strength-a change they hope that will better communicate the organization’s mission to promote a proactive, engaged and positive approach to fighting breast cancer.

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Genetic test will narrow in on predicting baldness

Posted by Martin Regal under Customer Stories, Genetic Tests, News, deCODE genetics, deCODEme on Oct 14
deCODEme genetic test includes an identification of the male pattern baldness trait.

deCODEme genetic test includes an identification of the male pattern baldness trait.

A team of scientists, led by Professor Tim Spector of King’s College, London, have been taking a closer look at the genetic coordinates for male pattern baldness or androgenic alopecia. Male pattern baldness is the most common form of hair loss in men and one that increases steadily with age. While it has been known for some time that men inherit a tendency for baldness via their x chromosomes from their maternal grandfather, this new research has identified a region on chromosome 20 (20p11) that suggests that a susceptibility for baldness is also inherited directly from one’s father. Read More »

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deCODE launches deCODE BreastCancer™, a genetic test to screen for risk of the most common forms of breast cancer

Posted by Edward Farmer under Genetic Research, Genetic Tests, News, deCODE diagnostics, deCODE genetics on Oct 9
deCODE Breast Cancer enables women to understand whether they may benefit from more intensive screening, monitoring or preventive drug therapy.

deCODE Breast Cancer enables women to understand whether they may benefit from more intensive screening, monitoring or preventive drug therapy.

Reykjavik, ICELAND, October 8, 2008 – deCODE genetics today announced the launch of deCODE BreastCancer™, a new tool for assessing risk of the common forms of breast cancer. For the first time, a woman concerned about breast cancer can speak with her physician about a genetic test to better understand her lifetime risk of developing the common forms of the disease.

The common forms of breast cancer result from the interplay of genetic as well as environmental and lifestyle factors and represent 95 percent of all breast cancers. These are distinct from the rare and essentially purely inherited forms of the disease due to mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which cause between 1 and 3 percent of breast cancers. deCODE BreastCancer™ is a DNA-based reference laboratory test performed using a simple blood sample or cheek swab, ordered by physicians on behalf of their patients.
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Iceland wins silver in handball at the Olympics

Posted by Martin Regal under News on Aug 24
Icelandic handball team celebrates silver at the Olympics

Icelandic handball team celebrates silver at the Olympics

Icelandic handball has never enjoyed such a high profile in the US press, and deservedly so. Having just won the silver in the men’s Olympic final, Iceland is one of the smallest nations to win any kind of Olympic medal. American and European journalists and bloggers, seemingly never tired with playing up Iceland’s Viking image, appear to have hit the nail on the head this time. Perhaps it is their Viking genes! Read More »

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New deCODE analytical tool multiplies power to discover rare genetic risk factors for common diseases

Posted by Keith Hayward under Genetic Research, News, deCODE genetics on Aug 18

Get the Flash Player to see this player.
On Sunday, August 17, deCODE published a new statistical method for increasing the information that can be derived from high-density genotyping, leveraging the genotypic data the company has already generated
on tens of thousands of participants in its gene discovery programs. In the above video, CEO Kari Stefansson, the company’s head statistician Augustine Kong, and Chief of Communications Edward Farmer talk about how this method works and why it may help deCODE to find rarer variants conferring risk of common diseases.

Link: Read abstract in Nature Genetics

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BBC – Your DNA’s in the post

Posted by admin under News, deCODE genetics, deCODEme on Jul 29

BBC reporter Rob Liddle writes about the deCODEme genetic test

BBC News Magazine’s Rob Liddle writes about his experience of taking the deCODEme genetic test. Does this new form of diagnosis lead to reduced autonomy or offer greater choice?

Link: See the full article on the BBC News website.

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Genetic test helps to detect prostate cancer

Posted by Jonheidur Isleifsdottir under Customer Stories, News, Prostate Cancer, deCODE genetics, deCODEme on Jul 25

Jeff Gulcher, Chief Scientific Officer of deCODE genetics, creator of the deCODEme test.

Chief scientific officer of deCODE, Jeff Gulcher (48) takes a deCODEme scan that indicates he has a very high risk bracket for prostate cancer. Taking his results to a urologist may have saved his life.

Rick Weiss of the Washington Post reports:

Jeffrey Gulcher had no reason to think much about prostate cancer. He was just 48, and the disease typically strikes later in life. Even the most cautious medical groups agree that most men need not begin annual prostate screenings until age 50.

But Gulcher happens to be the chief scientific officer of deCODE Genetics — one of several companies that, amid some controversy, have begun offering direct-to-consumer DNA tests that can help people predict which diseases they are likely to get. So in April, he spat into a test tube and, without giving the matter much thought, sent the sample in for analysis by his own company.

He was in for a shock.

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deCODE on NBC Nightly News – Part 2

Posted by Berglind Olafsdottir under Genetic Research, News, deCODEme on Jul 23

The second part of NBC Nightly News coverage of deCODE genetics and the genetic research conducted with the help of the Icelandic nation. Bazell continues to look at the company he sees as being at the cutting edge of genetic research.

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deCODE research on NBC Today Show

Posted by Berglind Olafsdottir under Genetic Research, News, deCODEme on Jul 22

NBC’s Robert Bazell looks at genetic research in Iceland and interviews deCODE’s CEO Dr. Kari Stefansson. Of special interest is the work carried out on common diseases that have a genetic component. Stefansson predicts that genetic tests will be widely used within 3-5 years.

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The lowdown on deCODE

Posted by Berglind Olafsdottir under Genetic Research, News, deCODEme on Jul 22

A look at deCODE, the biotech company in Iceland that is researching genes for common conditions like heart disease, stroke and cancer. Sue Herera interviews NBC’s Robert Bazell on his coverage of deCODE and discusses the scientific, pharmacological and commercial implications of genetic testing.

Originally broadcast July 22, 2008.

Link: Watch the interview.

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deCODE research on NBC Nightly News – Part 1

Posted by Berglind Olafsdottir under Genetic Research, News, deCODEme on Jul 21


NBC chief science correspondent, Robert Bazell, reports on deCODE in Iceland. Iceland is a goldmine of genetic information. where new discoveries in genetic testing may mean a healthier life for the whole world. That Icelanders have an extensive knowledge of their ancestry, says Bazell, has been interesting for history, but now it’s very important for medicine.

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deCODE welcomes signing of GINA

Posted by Keith Hayward under News, deCODEme on May 22

deCODE genetics welcomes the signing of the Genetic Information Non-discrimination Act (GINA), a bill that, many years in the making, has now been signed by President Bush. GINA will provide a federal counterpart to existing legislation in many states prohibiting discrimination against individuals in matters of employment or healthcare coverage based upon the results of genetic tests or other genetic information.

Link: Read the full deCODE statement on GINA from April 25 2008

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deCODE scientists discover another set of common genetic variants linked to risk of breast cancer

Posted by Keith Hayward under News, deCODEme on Apr 27

Scientists from deCODE genetics today report the discovery of two common single-letter variants (SNPs) associated with risk of estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer. More than 60% of the general population carry at least one copy of the risk variant of the most important SNP, and women who have inherited the variant from both parents are at approximately 50% greater risk of developing ER+ breast cancer than women who have not inherited the variant. The second variant is located near the first and occurs only in tandem with it, adding slight risk of the disease. Although these variants confer modest risk, they are so common that they are estimated to account for approximately 11% of breast cancers overall.

With this latest discovery, the genetic factors underpinning a very significant proportion of inherited risk of ER+ breast cancer have now been elucidated. Common variants previously discovered by deCODE are together involved in an estimated 25% of ER+ breast cancers.

deCODE made today’s discovery through the analysis of genotypic data from a total of nearly 40,000 patients and control subjects from five countries. deCODE gratefully acknowledges the participation of the patients and researchers who took part in this study.

Link: Read the paper, ‘Common variants on chromosome 5p12 confer susceptibility to estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer’, in Nature Genetics

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A Smoking Gene: deCODE Scientists Identify a Genetic Variant that Confers Nicotine Dependence

Posted by Keith Hayward under Genetic Research, News, deCODE genetics, deCODEme on Apr 2

Scientists from deCODE genetics have identified a clear link between one genetic variant and susceptibility to nicotine dependence and will publish their results in the April 3 issue of Nature. Moreover, in part because of its impact on smoking behavior, each copy of the risk variant of this SNP confers an approximately 30% increase in risk of lung cancer and a 20% increase in risk of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), a common and debilitating constriction of the arteries to the legs.

deCODE scientists came upon the genetic variant by closely examining the genetic makeup of more than 10,000 smokers. They then followed up with an analysis of 32,000 patients and controls from Iceland, New Zealand, Austria, Sweden, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain for lung cancer and PAD, two common diseases strongly associated with smoking.

Kari Stefansson, deCODE CEO, expressed the importance of the discovery: “These findings provide an example of the power of human genetics for shedding light on the most complex health challenges. Not only have we made a convincing link between a single genetic variant and a behavioral disorder – greater smoking quantity and addiction to nicotine – but also demonstrated how this risk factor translates into risk of lung cancer and PAD.”

Stefansson also pointed out that deCODE’s genetic profile service, deCODEme, will test for the gene immediately.

Details of the smoking gene study, which was funded in part by the European Commission, and from the National Institute of Drug Abuse of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, are available at www.nature.com.

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