Noninvasive Prenatal Diagnostics: How Much Closer to Reality?

Whether the astonishing missteps by Sequenom, which earlier this year disclosed it could not support its data for a non-invasive Down Syndrome test, were merely poor management or a reality check for the field of non-invasive prenatal disgnostics, the NIPD opportunity is compelling. But the profession also understandably balks at obtaining information that is not then clinically actionable -- an issue that could further amplify in importance as technologies like microarrays and direct DNA sequencing increase become more prevalent.