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In a modest single-story building in Sorrento Valley, Pathway Genomics Inc.'s genetic testing laboratory is brimming with high-tech machinery - much of it from San Diego's own Illumina Inc. - that can screen up to 1 million samples of saliva per year.
Every day, dozens of plastic tubes of human saliva arrive at Pathway's lab from around the world and are stamped with a barcode to begin a highly automated journey of DNA extraction and analysis.
The process ends with detailed personal genetic reports filled with information patients can use to tailor their medical treatments, their diet, and even their workout routines
Privately-held Pathway, which originally sold its genetic testing service directly to consumers, has shifted its business model over the past year, said Pathway President and CEO Jim Plante. The 75-person company now works exclusively with doctors and health care companies to screen patients for adverse drug responses, health risks, and recessive genetic diseases that could be passed along to children.
Pathway sells its reports, with a physician's order, for $300 to $400. Founded in October 2008 when few people knew about personal genetic testing, the company is part of a more crowded market-place that includes major...