Almac and Illumina partner on next-gen in vitro assays

13-Nov-2015 - Last updated on 13-Nov-2015 at 13:24 GMT

Almac Diagnostics is part of Almac Group

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Northern Ireland CDMO Almac is working with US gene testing company Illumina to create next-generation sequencing diagnostic assays.

The collaboration will use Illumina’s MiSeqDx tool, the first in vitro diagnostic next-generation sequencing (NGS) system to be approved by the FDA for clinical lab use. Almac Diagnostics, a daughter company of Almac Group, will contribute experience in developing multiplex RNA- and DNA-based tests from its current companion diagnostic partnerships with big pharma.

Almac said the partnership will allow it to offer a greater range of complex assays to its customers.

“We are extremely pleased to announce this collaboration with Illumina,” said Almac Diagnostics president and managing director Paul Harkin. “We are fully committed to the development of precision medicine and partnerships of this nature provide more avenues for test delivery, enabling development of diagnostic tests which will ultimately improve care in a wide range of disease areas.”

Almac announced this week it is expanding its contract development footprint to Loughborough, England and hiring 180 people to run labs at AstraZeneca’s old process development site.