We've all heard the term game changers. We recently had the opportunity to step into the state of the art clinical laboratory of Assurex Health – a precision medicine, health informatics company that is a key presence in the growing biosciences hub being developed in Mason, Ohio (near Cincinnati). Assurex Health is a developing leader in the precision medicine space having developed an innovative genetic test called GeneSight – which helps healthcare providers make more informed mental health medication decisions based on a person’s unique genetic profile.

The best way I can describe the importance of what the company’s highly trained and passionate medical and research professionals do, led by Ph.D. Bryan Dechairo, SVP Medical affairs and Clinical Development, and Sandra Gunselman, VP of Laboratory Operations, is this:

We have all seen commercials for pharmaceutical products on television for depression and other conditions.  We’re reminded that these products don’t work for everyone, and can produce unwanted side effects in some people. Hearing this may cause some people to walk away from trying medications, going into treatment  and even worse to lose hope – which can dramatically affect the patient’s chances to get better and have a cascading effect on family members and supportive others.

Until testing like GeneSight became available, it was trial and error and could take healthcare providers months or sometimes longer to help get patients on the right medication.

President & CEO Virginia C. Drosos expressed the vision of Assurex Health. "We are all about being an active partner in the team with healthcare providers and patients. We know if the GeneSight testing we do helps the healthcare provider, it helps the patient." She then underlined the value of the DNA testing and how it best serves the interest of the patient. "We can offer hope. We know that hope is important to people who suffer from depression and other mental health disorders as well as their family and loved ones.  It's so exciting to know that for the first time, because of our advances in science and research, we can offer such an important and clinically proven tool to the healthcare team."

Each day, FedEx arrives at Assurex Health’s front door delivering GeneSight packages for some 800 patients that have been sent in from healthcare offices around the country.  Within 36 hours of Assurex Health receiving DNA samples, the results are sent back to the healthcare providers enabling them to quickly assess the medications that are most genetically appropriate for their patients, based on each patient’s own DNA.   

We are thrilled to be able to feature GeneSight and the new way it is helping healthcare providers enable their patients to get on the road to mental wellness.