Company Announcements

BioDiscovery announced in October the launch of N_xClinical 3.0, a flexible, platform-agnostic database solution for analysis, interpretation and reporting of copy number and sequence variants, as well as absence of heterozygosity. It combines data from arrays and NGS.

Diagenode and Advanced Analytical Technologies announced in October a comarketing agreement to promote instrument platform synergies for NGS library preparation, utilizing their respective DNA shearing solutions and Fragment Analyzer Automated CE systems.

In October, Genohm and Interactive Biosoftware announced a technology partnership and integration of their respective SLims lab management software and Alamut Software Suite for management of any NGS workflow.

QIAGEN announced in November a partnership with Genohm to support its NGS solution. The companies codeveloped GeneRead Link for complete chain of custody. QIAGEN also offers its users access to Genohm’s SLims solution.

In November, Interactive Biosoftware announced a collaboration with Centogene to integrate their respective Alamut Visual decision-support software and CentoMD rare disease genetic database.

Zymo Research announced in October that it obtained an exclusive license to a methylation age predictor, known as Horvath’s Clock. The technology uses sample DNA from any biological source other than sperm to measure DNA methylation based on 353 epigenetic markets to estimate the biological age of most human tissues and cell types.

Lexogen announced in October a collaboration with Bluebee for implementation of its QuantSeq data analysis pipeline on the Bluebee genomics analysis platform.

In October, Illumina announced the contribution of over 95,000 human genetic variants to the ClinVar public database.

Q² Solutions—EA Genomics, a clinical trials lab services organization, announced an agreement with Illumina to establish a framework for developing NGS companion diagnostics assays using the MiSeqDx. Q² Solutions—EA Genomics is a QuintilesIMS and Quest Diagnostics joint venture.

Fluidigm announced a comarketing agreement for GenomOncology’s GO Clinical Workbench for molecular interpretation of somatic variants identified using Fluidigm’s Juno targeted NGS library preparation workflow.

SeraCare Life Sciences announced in November a collaboration with ArcherDX to develop and commercialize highly multiplexed RNA fusion reference materials that support the validation and routine monitoring of the Archer FusionPlex gene fusion detection kits.

In November, ArcherDX announced a partnership with Sophia Genetics focused on oncology solutions addressing solid tumors and hematological disorders, as well as applications in liquid biopsy and immune repertoire profiling. The agreement will integrate their respective NGS test kits and DDM (Data-Driven Medicine) analytical platform.

Sophia Genetics announced in November a partnership with Horizon Discovery, combining their respective artificial intelligence platform and HDx Reference Standards for NGS.

Illumina announced in November an agreement with Mayo Clinic to integrate existing services and software tools, and employ new solutions to improve Mayo’s reporting workflows for researching inherited diseases. Mayo Clinic will implement Illumina’s BaseSpace Clarity LIMS in specific labs and provide feedback on Illumina’s BaseSpace Sequence Hub and Variant Interpreter.

In November, Thermo Fisher Scientific announced the filing of the final module of a premarket approval application with the US FDA for its Oncomine University Dx Test, a multigene NGS-based assay for non­–small cell lung cancer. It would serve as a companion diagnostic utilized to select patients for specific therapies. It could also be accessible to global drug companies for ongoing development of therapeutic drugs.

Seven Bridges and SolveBio announced in November the integration of their respective cloud-based Seven Bridges Platform and biological data platform. The integration enables joint customers to analyze and annotate large genomic datasets using Seven Bridges’ tools and customizable workflows, and then push relevant findings to SolveBio for deep functional interpretation and assessment of clinical impact.

In November, QIAGEN announced a five-year Master Assay Development, Commercialization and Manufacturing Agreement with HTG Molecular Diagnostics for offering pharmaceutical companies a complete NGS-based solution for the development and commercialization of companion diagostics, with a focus in oncology. QIAGEN also made an up to $4 million investment in HTG’s common stock.

Product Introductions

In October, outside the US, QIAGEN launched the QIAsymphony SP instrument as a front-end option for sample processing for its GeneReader NGS System. It provides continuous loading of up to 96 samples. The QIAsymphony SP is registered with the FDA.

Malaysia-based Novocraft Technologies introduced in October the NovoWorx NGS data management and analytics platform. It natively supports the novoAlign and novoSort programs.

In October, BioBam released Blast2GO 4 for the functional analysis of transcriptomics datasets. It allows the functional annotation, analysis and biological interpretation of de novo sequencing datasets.

DNAstack introduced in October its cloud platform for management, analysis, search and sharing of genomics databases. Users pay only for cloud cost incurred for data storage and computation on the Google Cloud. It is the first commercial platform to be built on Google Genomics.

In October, SeqLL launched an early access program for its tSMS (Single Molecule Sequencing) System for quantitative sequencing. The amplification-free technology has the capacity to detect low-fold changes and discover rare transcripts.

In October, Diagenode released a complete product solution for RNA sequencing using CATS (Capture and Amplification by Tailing and Switching), initially launching the CATS Small RNA-seq Kit. The minimum required input is picogram amounts of RNA.

In November, Roche introduced the KAPA RNA HyperPrep product for RNA library preparation. It features a novel chemistry that enables the combination of enzymatic steps and fewer reaction purifications. The strand-specific, single-tube workflows can be completed in a standard workday.

SeraCare Life Science released in November the Seraseq Tumor Mutation DNA Mix v2 (RUO-GMP) and Seraseq FFPE Tumor KRAS Reference Kit Material Kit, two new reference materials for clinical oncology assays.

Sales/Orders of Note

In October, India-based MedGenome, a genomics-driven research and diagnostics company, announced the purchase of the Illumina Hiseq X Ten platform.

SomaGenics announced in October that it was awarded a $1.8 million two-year NIH Small Business Innovation Research Phase II grant to further develop its RealSeq–AC technology for NGS of small RNAs, such as miRNA. The award allows it to further develop the RealSeq–AC library construction approach.

In October, Pacific Biosciences announced that the Genome 10K and Bird 10,000 Genomes initiative have invested in SMRT Sequencing technology, with the order of two Sequel Systems and plans for three additional units.

DNAnexus announced in November that the Stanford Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine, which supports researchers across nearly 80 labs, adopted the DNAnexus Platform on the Microsoft Azure cloud.