This article has been updated from a previous version to reflect clarifications made by MGI Tech about the nature of the partnership.
NEW YORK – BGI Group affiliate MGI Tech announced on Tuesday that it struck a partnership with Nalagenetics to codevelop a low-coverage whole-genome sequencing (WGS) workflow for risk prediction and pharmacogenomics by optimizing next-generation sequencing workflows using MGI devices and products.
Under the collaboration, Nalagenetics, a genetic testing company with a presence in Singapore and Indonesia, will offer its Clinical Decision Support software to analyze WGS data generated by MGI's DNBSeq sequencing platform to create "clinical-grade reports" for pharmacogenomics and polygenic risk scores, according to MGI.
"Pharmacogenetic testing adoption in Southeast Asia is still low despite interest from customers, as next-generation sequencing is a multi-step process that can be complex and difficult to implement in existing settings," Roy Tan, general manager of MGI Asia Pacific, said in a statement. "The partnership with Nalagenetics will merge both our expertise and bring about a simplified next-generation sequencing workflow with automation, sequencing primer design, and process QC within [the] current healthcare framework."