Australia’s Seonix Bio has announced the launch in the United States of SightScore, the first commercially available clinical polygenic risk score testing service for primary open-angle glaucoma.

Already in use in Australia and New Zealand, SightScore is the brainchild of Jamie Craig, Professor of Ophthalmology at Flinders University, and his team.

It uses a saliva test that looks at millions of genetic variants in the patient’s genome to create a personalised polygenic risk score for glaucoma. The test estimates the patient’s genetic risk of developing glaucoma in the future, enabling earlier diagnosis, intervention, and more personalised treatment. It can identify low-risk individuals who may benefit from less frequent monitoring, and if a patient already has glaucoma, it assesses the risk that the patient’s glaucoma might get worse.

US ophthalmologist Dr Inder Paul Singh described SightScore as a “game changer in the way we will assess and manage patients at risk for glaucoma”.

“It is an invaluable tool for identifying individuals who may not show obvious signs of the disease yet and are at higher genetic risk,” said Dr Singh, who is president of The Eye Centers of Racine and Kenosha in Wisconsin.

“By incorporating SightScore into our practice, we can more effectively prioritise patients for early screening, personalise their care, and ensure we’re detecting glaucoma in its earliest, most treatable stages.”

Visit: seonixbio.com.