Press release
Illumina Launches Research Test Codeveloped with Merck to Unlock Deeper Insights into the Tumor Genome
New assay brings validated HRD technology from Myriad Genetics to the Illumina TruSight™ Oncology 500, a single, comprehensive pan-cancer test to identify key
About this update from Illumina, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"New assay brings validated HRD technology from Myriad Genetics to the Illumina TruSight™ Oncology 500, a single, comprehensive pan-cancer test to identify key variants critical for cancer development and progression\nSAN DIEGO, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN), a global leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, today announced the launch of a research test, codeveloped with Merck (known as MSD outside the United States and Canada). The research test builds upon Illumina's commitment to broadly enable comprehensive genomic profiling and enhance research critical to realizing precision medicine in oncology. The test adds assessment of a new genomic signature to the distributed, market leading TruSight™ Oncology 500 assay. It will be available globally, excluding the United States and Japan and will enable researchers to unlock deeper insights about the tumor genome by identifying genetic mutations used in the evaluation of homologous recombination deficiency (HRD).\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n\"HRD status has emerged as an important biomarker in tumors that harbor high levels of DNA damage, such as ovarian, breast, prostate, and pancreatic cancers,\" said Phil Febbo, MD, chief medical officer at Illumina. \"With one sample and one test, TruSight Oncology 500 HRD assay provides labs with comprehensive, accurate, sensitive results that can greatly enhance our understanding of the genomic nature of a tumor.\"\nThe Research Use Only TruSight Oncology 500 HRD test is a next-generation sequencing (NGS)–based assay that harnesses the power of Illumina NGS technology and validated HRD technology from Myriad Genetics (NASDAQ: MYGN), enabling labs to accurately detect genomic instability and analyze more than 500 genes simultaneously, including those relevant to HRD status. HRD is a genomic signature used to describe when cells are unable to effectively repair double-stranded DNA breaks. When this occurs, cells rely on alternative, error-prone DNA repair mechanisms, which may lead to genomic instability and, eventually, tumor formation.\nThe Molecular Pathology Diagnostic Unit at the Technical University of Munich participated in the TSO 500 HRD early access program in order to compare the results of Illumina's prototype TSO 500 HRD assay to a validated reference standard, from Myriad Genetics.\n\"Our i...