July 28, 2008
Huge Demand Follows Retail Store Product Launch With 50,000 Identigene DNA Paternity Test Kits Purchased In Only Nine Months
Over-the-Counter Availability at Local Drug Stores Empowers Those Troubled by a Paternity Question to Get a Definitive Answer through a Fast, Private Process.
SALT LAKE CITY (July 28, 2008) Identigene, an industry pioneer in DNA identification testing, today announced 50,000 Identigene DNA Paternity Test Kits have been purchased since retail sales of the product began in a West Coast test market in November 2007. The kit is the first DNA test ever sold in major retail stores, providing answers to paternity questions quickly with probabilities of paternity greater than 99.99 percent. The self-administered, non-invasive Identigene DNA Paternity Test Kit is now available over-the-counter in 10,000 retail outlets in 45 states just nine months after its retail launch.
"The Identigene DNA Paternity Test Kit was a godsend for my son and me," said Jane Gillespie of St. Clair Shores, Mich. "What are the chances a DNA paternity test kit would become available at a nearby drug store just when my son needed one?" The ex-girlfriend of Gillespie's 17-year-old son had just given birth to a baby girl she claimed was his, but Gillespie had her doubts.
Adoptive parents were ready to pick up the infant at the hospital and wanted Gillespie's son to sign-off as the father, she said. "My son was devastated that he could be the father of a child he wouldn't see again." The timing was awful. "He was planning out his senior year in high school and had finally decided on a career path after graduation. He wanted to do the right thing, but he didn't want his baby to be raised apart from her natural father, as he had.
"I heard about retail sales of Identigene's DNA Paternity Test Kit on the radio earlier that day. And I had only an hour-and-a-half to find a test kit and return to the hospital to obtain a DNA sample from the baby," she said.
The Identigene DNA Paternity Test uses DNA samples of saliva or cheek cells. To use a test kit, the baby, the alleged father and, optionally, the mother have a small amount of DNA collected by swab. The samples, consent forms and a lab fee are sent in a postage-paid envelope to Identigene for processing. Results are available within three to five business days of receipt at the laboratory.
Just days later, Gillespie received lab results: The baby was not her son's. "We were both very relieved. My son felt like a huge burden had been lifted, and I have peace-of-mind knowing I don't have a granddaughter I'll never see.
"Identigene gave my son his life back," said Gillespie. "Now he is beginning his senior year in high school and has been sworn into the delayed entry program of the U.S. Marines, which has been his career dream."
Suggested retail price for an Identigene DNA Paternity Test Collection Kit is $29.99. The laboratory processing fee for the personal peace-of-mind test is $119. An option is available for retail customers who want to use test results in legal proceedings that provides specific collection and secure chain-of-custody procedures for the DNA samples. The processing fee for test results for use in legal proceedings is $319, which includes the lab fee.
About IDENTIGENE
Founded in 1993, IDENTIGENE, a division of Sorenson Genomics, was the first DNA testing laboratory in the world to commercially use STR technology for paternity testing, and has since provided test results to more than 200,000 people around the world. IDENTIGENE is a full-service DNA testing laboratory, specializing in paternity testing and forensic DNA testing services. For more information on IDENTIGENE and its DNA testing services visit www.dnatesting.com.
About Sorenson Genomics
Sorenson Genomics (www.sorensongenomics.com) is a best-in-class DNA testing laboratory certified to ISO 17025 and accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks. It was the world's first laboratory accredited for genetic genealogy testing services. Sorenson Genomics provides a wide spectrum of contract services (including DNA extraction and purification, biological forensics, drug screening, disaster victim identification, ancestral and population assessment, and custom test development) to clients throughout the world..
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