Annoroad Completes Full Industrial Chain Layout with Launch of NextSeq 550AR High-Throughput Sequencer
On March 21, 2017, Annoroad Gene Technology held a new product launch event in Beijing, officially unveiling the NextSeq 550AR, a new desktop high-throughput gene sequencer that had recently received registration certification from the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA). March 21 is also World Down Syndrome Day (Trisomy 21 Day). On this special occasion, Annoroad simultaneously released its certified fetal chromosomal aneuploidy (T21, T18, T13) detection kit, based on the NextSeq 550AR sequencing platform and utilizing reversible terminator sequencing technology.
More than 200 attendees, including Jonathon Seaton, Senior Vice President of Global Business Development at Illumina; Susan Tousi, Senior Vice President of Product Development; Jeff Hawkins, Vice President of Reproductive and Genetic Health; Dr. Chen Chongjian, CEO and President of Annoroad Gene Technology; Dr. Liang Junbin, Chief Operating Officer; clinical experts such as Professor Yang Huixia, Director of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Peking University First Hospital and Vice Chair of the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Group under the Perinatal Medicine Branch of the Chinese Medical Association; pregnant women representatives; and media representatives, attended the launch event to jointly witness the unveiling of the new product.
Photos of the Launch Ceremony
At the launch event, Dr. Chen Chongjian, CEO of Annoroad Gene Technology, presented the company’s growth trajectory over its first five years. As one of the earliest enterprises in China to implement clinical applications of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) technology, Annoroad has both driven and witnessed the rapid development and widespread clinical adoption of this technology. Annoroad remains steadfastly committed to advancing the cause of precision medicine in China. The introduction of the NextSeq 550AR marks Annoroad’s completion of a comprehensive layout across the entire industry chain, with business operations spanning upstream instrument and reagent manufacturing, midstream sequencing centers and cloud storage platforms, and downstream medical and scientific research testing services.
Dr. Chen Chongjian, CEO and President of Annoroad
As a key strategic partner of Annoroad, Jonathan Seaton, Senior Vice President of Illumina, delivered the welcome address: “Annoroad is an important partner for us in China. We are delighted to witness the CFDA approval of the NextSeq 500AR. We look forward to working closely with Annoroad to better serve the Chinese clinical market.” Subsequently, Jeff Hawkins, Vice President of Reproductive and Genetic Health at Illumina, took the stage to deliver an in-depth presentation, showcasing the broad applications of next-generation sequencing platforms, the future direction of clinical services, and Illumina’s expectations and vision.
Jonathan Seaton, Senior Vice President of Global Business Development at Illumina
At the press conference, Annoroad Gene Tech also invited a clinical expert team led by Professor Yang Huixia, Director of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Peking University First Hospital and Vice Chairperson of the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Branch of the Perinatal Medicine Society of the Chinese Medical Association, along with pregnant women representatives, to share insights on the clinical application of NIPT. Professor Yang stated that NGS is a precise technology suited to new-generation clinical demands. The NextSeq 550AR gene sequencer launched by Annoroad provides a high-throughput, rapid, and accurate integrated sequencing platform, which better promotes the three-tier prevention and control testing for birth defects in China and contributes to efforts aimed at reducing the incidence of birth defects.
The NextSeq 550AR Gene Sequencer is a new generation of desktop high-throughput gene sequencer jointly developed by Illumina and Annoroad. This sequencer integrates Illumina’s advanced dual-channel “sequencing by synthesis (SBS)” technology and its classic “reversible terminator” patented technology with Annoroad’s strong capability in clinical application translation. It features high throughput, rapid speed, accurate data, stable performance, and ease of operation. Furthermore, the NextSeq 550AR offers extensive scalability for both clinical and academic applications, enabling kit development and registration for applications such as preimplantation genetic screening (PGS), liquid biopsy, FFPE sequencing, and genetic disease testing. It is poised to provide more advanced and diversified solutions for the clinical application market.
The NextSeq 550AR system and its associated kits have received certification from the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA), marking a new milestone for Annoroad Gene Technology and Illumina in the field of precision medicine, and will undoubtedly make significant contributions to the health and well-being of the Chinese people.
About Annoroad:
Headquartered in Beijing, the company is a renowned enterprise in China’s genomics industry, a leading medical genomics center in Asia, one of the first Gene Testing Technology Application Demonstration Centers designated by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), one of the first pilot units for clinical application of high-throughput sequencing approved by the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC), a National High-Tech Enterprise, the “Beijing Engineering Laboratory for Precision Medicine and Genetic Engineering” recognized by the Beijing Municipal NDRC, and a Zhongguancun High-Tech Enterprise. It also hosts a postdoctoral research workstation. The company focuses on the industrial application of next-generation genomics technologies in two major fields: human medical health and life sciences research. It has established leading high-throughput sequencing and high-performance computing platforms, and has entered into strategic collaborations with Illumina Inc. (USA) and Alibaba Cloud, thereby building a robust Bio-IT foundation and strong capabilities in industrialization and service delivery.
About Illumina:
Illumina is dedicated to improving human health by decoding the genome. Driven by continuous innovation in its sequencing technologies, Illumina has emerged as a global industry leader in DNA sequencing and microarray technology, serving research, clinical, and applied markets with products spanning life sciences, oncology, reproductive health, agriculture, and other emerging fields.