**GeneDx Holdings Corp. and Partners Launch First U.S. National Genomic Newborn Screening Initiative with $14.4 Million NIH Grant** GeneDx Holdings Corp. (Nasdaq: WGS) has announced the launch of BEACONS (Building Evidence and Collaboration for GenOmics in Nationwide Newborn Screening), the nation's first multi-state genomic newborn screening initiative. The project is funded by a $14.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Common Fund Venture Program, awarded jointly to multiple organizations including Mass General Brigham, Ariadne Labs, Boston Children's Hospital, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL), Case Western Reserve University, Baylor College of Medicine, and Illumina. BEACONS will pilot the integration of whole genome sequencing into state newborn screening programs, recruiting up to 30,000 newborns across as many as 10 states over the next three years. This collaboration aims to evaluate the feasibility, ethical considerations, and potential public health impact of using genomic sequencing for newborn screening in the United States. If successful, the project could pave the way for expanding genomic screening nationwide.