Illumina Launches Lower-Cost Pathogen Sequencing Program for Low- and Middle-Income Countries Amid 80% Drop in Q3 COVID Surveillance Revenue

Source: genomeweb

On November 13, Illumina, Inc. stated that the company has launched an initiative to provide more affordable pathogen sequencing tools for public health efforts in low- and middle-income countries.

The Global Access Program for genomics will offer reduced pricing for certain products to 'qualified global health funding entities.' Target applications include drug resistance analysis for tuberculosis, whole-genome sequencing of emerging and re-emerging viruses to monitor viral evolution and support outbreak response, broad respiratory pathogen testing for influenza-like illness surveillance, wastewater and other environmental monitoring applications for tracking pathogens, and population-level antimicrobial resistance.

The financial details associated with the plan were not disclosed.

"During the pandemic, a significant amount of sequencing capacity was established globally to identify, track, and monitor variants," said Anita Suresh, Head of Genomics and Sequencing at FIND, in a statement. "Initiatives like these are crucial for helping low- and middle-income countries improve the affordability and accessibility of genomics to ensure that every country can benefit from routinely used technologies in a scalable and sustainable manner."

Illumina said in a statement that, in order to simplify budgeting and procurement, the key components of these applications will be provided in the form of single-part-number combination kits, including library preparation reagents, sequencing reagents, and data analysis tools.

"Illumina’s Global Health Team Lead Vanessa Moeder said in a statement, 'We know that enabling countries to conduct pathogen sequencing locally can strengthen health systems, improve preparedness, and empower nations to manage their priority health threats. It also avoids the costly and time-consuming process of sending samples abroad and accelerates response times. We cannot afford to lose time in preparing for the next pandemic; adopting pathogen genomic surveillance in every country will give us a head start against infectious disease threats.'"

Less than a week before the launch of this project, Illumina, Inc. reported that its third-quarter COVID-19 testing revenue had dropped from $28 million a year ago to approximately $4 million.

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