Genetron Health and Illumina Announce Strategic Collaboration to Advance NGS-Based Pathogen Diagnostic Solutions in China

Recently, Matridx Biotechnology and globalGene SequencingLeader Illumina Officially Signs Clinical DiagnosisBusiness Cooperation Agreement. Under the agreement, Illumina will support Matridx BiotechnologyBased onDevelop pathogen detection kits for clinical diagnosis on Illumina Inc.’s globally leading next-generation sequencing (NGS) platform. Meanwhile, both parties will engage in in-depth collaboration to promote the cooperative products in China. ThisCollaboration Highlights mNGS MetagenomicsDetectionFor promoting ChinaPathogenMicroorganismsAdvances in DiagnosticsIncreasingly Important！

In 2019, six of the “Top Ten Global Health Threats” released by the World Health Organization (WHO) were closely related to infections. Clinicians face the dilemma of being unable to clearly identify pathogenic pathogens using existing diagnostic methods for conditions such as pneumonia, sepsis, central nervous system infections, and fever of unknown origin, resulting in significant medical, economic, and social burdens. The diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and control of infectious diseases have become a focal point of global health.

Pursuant to the agreement executed by both parties, Matridx Biotechnology will independently develop clinical kits for pathogenic microorganism detection based on Illumina’s NGS platform, encompassing nucleic acid extraction, library preparation, and data analysis software, with plans to seek regulatory approval from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). Concurrently, Illumina will provide next-generation sequencing instruments, related reagents, and corresponding technical support.

Currently, Matridx Biotechnology has independently developed NGSmaster, an automated library preparation system for pathogen metagenomics. This innovation delivers a metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) solution characterized by the fastest turnaround time (8 hours faster than manual methods), the highest operational safety (compatible with biosafety cabinets and featuring one-touch automation), and precise detection results (covering more than 16,800 types of pathogenic microorganisms). It provides accurate diagnostic support for the treatment of infectious diseases.

Dr. Wang Jun, CEO of Matridx Biotechnology, stated, “During the COVID-19 pandemic, our pathogen metagenomic product solutions were deployed to support Wuhan, achieving localized implementation at Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital—the main battlefield of China’s fight against the epidemic—and saving the lives of many critically ill COVID-19 patients. Moving forward, we will accelerate the regulatory approval process for our mNGS test kits in China. Guided by the principles of enhancing the timeliness of pathogen molecular diagnostics and advancing the automation of testing equipment, we will work with our partners to usher in an era of precision diagnosis and treatment for pathogenic microorganisms!”

[About Matridx Biotechnology]

Matridx Biotechnology was co-founded by Dr. Wang Jun, a founding team member of Berry Genomics (SH: 000710), and Mr. Zhong Jie, Head of Strategic Investment at Dian Diagnostics (SZ: 300244). Leveraging next-generation sequencing (NGS) and CRISPR/Cas gene editing as its core technological platforms, the company integrates product innovation with data-driven strategies to revolutionize the future of infectious disease diagnostics. As a strategic partner of Alibaba Cloud in AI applications for infectious diseases, Matridx Biotechnology has been recognized as one of the “Top 5 Metagenomics Companies” on the “2019 Future Healthcare 100 · China List.” For more information, please visit: www.matridx.com.

[About Illumina]

Illumina, Inc. is dedicated to advancing and inspiring the development of genomics to continuously improve human health. Our focus on innovation has made us a global leader in gene sequencing and array technologies, providing professional services to customers in research, clinical, and applied markets worldwide. Our products are widely used in life sciences, oncology, reproductive health, agriculture, and other emerging fields. For more information, please visit www.illumina.com or follow Illumina’s official WeChat account.