Chinese biotech MGI Tech and France’s SeqOne Genomics are partnering to advance an end-to-end solution for genomic testing.
SeqOne’s AI-driven genomic decision support platform, SeqOne Platform, and MGI’s DNBSEQ-G99 genome sequencer will be combined to investigate several efficiencies to the gene analysis process.
The companies aim to create an end-to-end solution for homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) testing including genomic instability scores and breast cancer (BRCA) gene testing.
HRD is a cellular state in which cells cannot repair double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs) using the homologous recombination (HR) pathway. A key indicator of a tumour’s response to certain treatments, HRD is especially prevalent in advanced ovarian cancer.
To achieve this, the companies will collaborate with Spanish pathology reference lab Agilent Technologies, testing 96 sample panels from Agilent’s next-generation sequencing (NGS) platform, Magnis NGS.
The companies will also be looking to validate the compatibility of SeqOne’s CE-IVD platform for germline and somatic analysis with MGI’s routine diagnostics sequencers.
Guidance from the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is increasingly recommending that testing germline in NGS be utilised to assess for BRCA1/2 in homologous recombination repair (HRR) genes.
The companies also plan to make MegaBOLT, MGI’s hardware accelerating system for bioinformatics analysis, compatible with SeqOne's AI-powered variants identification and analysis solution to speed up the time between sampling and reporting within genetics labs.
“By combining MGI's cutting-edge sequencing technology with SeqOne's innovative genomic analysis platform, we are poised to deliver real insights and solutions for personalised healthcare," said general manager of MGI Europe and Africa Dr. Yong Hou.
Around 190 NGS devices are in various stages of development globally, according to GlobalData’s medical device pipeline database, with 127 in active development, including 59 in early-stage and 68 in late-stage development.
In 2023, Exact Sciences launched its OncoExTra NGS device in the US.
AstraZeneca Spain recently selected cloud-native software company Sophia Genetics as its preferred partner for expanding HRD testing for ovarian cancer across Spain, with the aim of making HRD testing accessible to more laboratories.
