NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Almac Diagnostics today announced a collaboration with Illumina to establish a framework for developing next-generation sequencing-based companion diagnostic assays.
Under the terms of the agreement, UK-based Almac will be able to develop NGS assays using the Illumina MiSeqDx instrument. The MiSeqDx is the first NGS instrument to be cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration for in vitro diagnostic purposes in clinical laboratories.
Almac is a contract development and manufacturing organization that provides a range of services to pharma and biotech companies. The firm said in a statement that it has partnered with several biopharmaceutical companies to develop companion diagnostics.
In one such collaboration inked in June, Almac said it would work with OncoMed Pharmaceuticals to develop companion diagnostics for an oncology drug targeting the R-Spondin 3 gene.