Illumina launches ‘faster’ and ‘cheaper’ genomic sequencing platform for Thai healthcare sector

 

US-based Illumina has unveiled a new model of genomic sequencing platform, NovaSeq X series, which  significantly improves on the previous model in terms of speed, cost saving and environmental protection, according to its top executive for Thai and other Asia Pacific markets.

 

 

Robert McBride, Illumina’s senior director of sales Asia Pacific and Japan, said in an interview that the new platform will  better serve oncology patients, reproductive healthcare patients and early-born baby screening need in Thailand and other  regional markets because the turnaround time of DNA sequencing is reduced from 48 hours to only  24 hours, making diagnostics faster.

 

In addition, the new platform will reduce the genomic sequencing cost to only US$200-300 per human whole genome next year, down from the current US$600 – excluding processing, interpretation and counselling expenses.

 

On a yearly basis, the NovaSeq X series delivers more than 20,000 whole genomes of high resolution optics and ultra-high density flow cells, which is 2.5 times greater throughput than the previous model.

 

According to McBride, technology innovation over the past several decades has driven down the cost of sequencing exponentially, from US$3 billion in the original Human Genome Project in 1990, to US$100 million in 2001.

 

Today’s technology is even much cheaper so it  will help democratize healthcare services around the world, making it accessible to virtually everyone, he said. The latest platform is also more environmentally friendly as it reduces waste and environmental impact by 90%  in terms of packaging waste and 50% reduction in plastic usage compared to the previous model.   In addition, the new platform will result in nearly 500 tons of dry ice savings per year.

 

McBride said the company’s mission to improve human health by unlocking the power of  genomic technology by identifying genetic diseases and disorders for treatments, drug development, personalized medicines, precision therapies, pandemic preparedness.    

 

During the global Covid-19 pandemic, Illumina was the first sequencer of its 75-80% of corona virus genomes in 2020 by partnering with over 120 labs globally.

 

Illumina has established business relationship with Thai customers over 18 years.  Key customers are in reproductive health companies using DNA sequencing and Next Generation Sequencing.  NGG Thailand is one of the key customers for In vitro fertilization (IVF) testing, Pre-implantation genetic screening (PGS), and IPT blood test with 10 weeks result to determine genetic disease in baby.  Oncology (cancer) is another growing area because Illumina’s technology can better improving diagnostic and treatment.

 

McBride said other potential areas for business growth include using genomic technology to find diseases in agriculture and animals and to improve the yields. 

 

Key success factors of Illumina in global market of genomic sequencing  are high quality and shortened time to result.  McBride said time to result is a very critical point because babies and children with genetic or complex diseases, for example, can be treated and recovered in a timely manner.

 

McBride said key challenges are the difficulties in acquiring data analysts and scientists in genome sequencing and how the government will safeguard their public health data with rules and regulations.   In Asia Pacific, Australia currently has  400,000 scientists and genetic counsellors while Japan has only 160,000, but the figures for Thailand are not available.

 

McBride said there are 3-4 big companies in the specialised aspect of DNA sequencing in the global market worth US$5-6 billion values.  Illumina is a market leader with an 80% share. 

 

In terms of the overall genomic sequencing market, the global market value is higher depending on segmentation criterias ie product, technology, applications, and the market participating platforms.  Based on Brandessence Market Research, the global genome sequencing market was worth US$13.58 billion in 2021.  It is projected to reach USD46.43 billion in 2028 at a strong CAGR of 19.2%.

 

Illumina is a global leader in genomic and DNA sequencing and array-based technologies with USD4.5 billion annual revenues in 2021.   

 

Regarding technical details, the latest NovaSeq X series provide extraordinary sequencing power through a single platform to fuel data-intensive applications like whole-genome sequencing, single-cell sequencing, and multiomics.  With numerous technical innovations, it enables maximum throughput and accuracy for genomics scientists.

 

The technology also accelerates genomic discovery and clinical insights, to understand disease and impacts to human lives and ultimately transform patient lives at scale.

 

 

Highlights of NovaSeq X series include:

• Launch of a fundamentally new sequencing by synthesis (SBS) chemistry, engineered for 2x higher speed and accuracy.
• Development of highest resolution optics and ultra-high density flow cells, delivering 2.5x greater throughput while driving down sequencing cost.
• Integration of on-board Bio-IT with ORA compression, enabling highly accurate and fully automated secondary analysis with 5x lossless data compression.
• Creation of 15 new thermostable reagents, supporting ambient-temperature shipping, eliminating the need for dry ice and reducting waste.

 

To achieve peak performance and minimize interruptions, Illumina provides a world-class support team comprised of experienced scientists who are experts in library prep, sequencing, and analysis.  Technical support is available via phone five days a week or access online support 24/7, worldwide and in multiple languages, with rapid response time.

 

Note: Special thanks to The Nation Thailand