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Illumina, Allegheny Health Network Collaborate on Study of Cancer Genomic Profiling

NEW YORK – Illumina said on Wednesday that it is collaborating with Allegheny Health Network to evaluate the impact of in-house comprehensive genomic profiling on cancer care.

The partners will assess the "value" of in-house testing for tissue and blood samples, compared to sending those samples to an external lab. They'll also seek ways in which blood-based testing is beneficial. In a study of 1,000 samples, they'll compare solid tissue and blood samples to see if blood can provide additional information that could be used in therapy selection.

Financial and other details were not disclosed.

AHN's Cancer Institute opened a clinical genomics lab in Pittsburgh last year. It has 24 affiliated oncology clinics, which will collect samples for the study.

"Partnering with AHN to help them perform testing within their system will further advance their institutional expertise in genomic cancer diagnosis, increase opportunities to match their patients with personalized therapy, and improve patient outcomes," Illumina Chief Medical Officer Phil Febbo said in a statement.

The project will last one year, with an option to expand the line of clinical research.

Illumina has launched many collaborations around comprehensive genomic profiling or blood-based testing in recent months, including with France's Jean Perrin Center at the Clermont-Ferrand University Hospital, National Cancer Center Japan, and the "improving public cancer care by implementing precision medicine in Norway" (IMPRESS-Norway) study.

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