Program aims to address key barriers to genomic
sequencing in-country
SAN
DIEGO, Nov. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Illumina
Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN), a global leader in DNA sequencing and
array-based technologies, announced today the launch of the Global
Health Access Initiative to support access to pathogen sequencing
tools for public health in low- and middle-income countries
(LMICs). The program, developed with guidance from customers,
funders, and market facilitators including the nonprofit FIND, will
provide reduced pricing structures for eligible sequencing products
from Illumina to qualified global health funding entities and
address key international logistics and supply chain
challenges.
"We know that enabling countries to perform pathogen sequencing
locally strengthens health systems, enables better preparedness,
and empowers countries to manage their priority health threats,"
said Vanessa Moeder, head of Global
Health at Illumina. "It also avoids costly and time-consuming
shipment of samples abroad and leads to faster response times. We
cannot lose time preparing for the next pandemic, and adoption of
pathogen genomic surveillance in every country allows us to get
ahead of infectious threats."
Currently, pricing for sequencing instruments and consumables
can vary by country or region, which is challenging for funders and
donors and can limit broad implementation. In the Illumina global
team's experience, Moeder says, the countries or regions whose
public health preparedness would most benefit from genomics often
lack the resources to sustainably implement it.
To begin addressing these challenges, Illumina's Global Health
Access Initiative will provide discounted prices for a range of
sequencing applications, including drug resistance profiling in
tuberculosis, whole-genome sequencing of emerging and reemerging
viruses to monitor virus evolution and support outbreak response,
broad respiratory pathogen detection for influenza-like illness
surveillance, wastewater and other environmental surveillance
applications to track pathogens, and antimicrobial resistances at
the population level.
To simplify budgeting and procurement, Illumina's key components
for these applications are available as single-part-number
combination kits, encompassing library preparation reagents,
sequencing reagents, and data analysis tools.
Expanding sequencing capabilities in LMICs is a long-term focus
for Illumina, and it forms the foundation of collaborations with
organizations like FIND and The Global Fund to Fight AIDS,
Tuberculosis and Malaria. Recently, significant advances have been
made in global genomic sequencing capacity: As of December 2022, 84% of World Health Organization
(WHO) member states are capable of sequencing SARS-COV-2, and as of
October 2023, over 16 million
SARS-CoV-2 genomes have been deposited in the GISAID repository.
However, geographic disparities in the ability to monitor pathogens
beyond SARS-CoV-2 lead to significant gaps in the detection of
emerging threats, putting global health security at risk.
"Significant sequencing capacity was built up globally during
the pandemic to identify, track and monitor variants, capacity
which should be leveraged to help combat multiple health
challenges. Initiatives such as this are critical to help improve
affordability and access to genomics in low- and middle-income
countries, to ensure that every country can benefit from the
technology in a scalable and sustainable manner for routine use,"
said Anita Suresh, Head of Genomics
& Sequencing at FIND.
The WHO's global pathogen genomic surveillance strategy and
guide for national implementation for genomics both recognize
that pathogen sequencing is a unique and essential tool for driving
preparedness for emerging and reemerging threats, and for
increasing understanding of the molecular epidemiology of disease
outbreaks. The organization has also issued a rapid communication
highlighting how sequencing can aid the management of endemic
diseases, including drug-resistant tuberculosis, an ongoing public
health crisis. Genomics has recently been leveraged to detect the
introduction of dengue virus type 3 genotypes to Brazil, which has important public health
implications, and recent studies cite pathogen genomic sequencing
as a critical tool for managing outbreaks such as Marburg virus,
Ebola virus, and mpox, as well as part of a "One Health" approach
to managing antimicrobial resistance.
"In an age where technology plays a crucial role in surveillance
and diagnostics during pandemics, ensuring equitable access to
these tools is not just a matter of fairness but a matter of global
public health security," said Toni
Whistler, US Centers for Disease Control detailee to The
Global Fund. "The ability to monitor and diagnose diseases swiftly
and accurately, without leaving vulnerable populations behind, is
fundamental to our collective preparedness in the face of global
health crises. The equitable access program developed and
operationalized by Illumina will allow many low- and middle-income
nations to participate in the future of genomics across public
health and preparedness."
Learn more about the Global Health Access Initiative.
About Illumina
Illumina is improving human health by
unlocking the power of the genome. In 2023 we celebrate 25 years of
innovation, which has established us as a global leader in DNA
sequencing and array-based technologies, serving customers in the
research, clinical, and applied markets. Our products are used for
applications in the life sciences, oncology, reproductive health,
agriculture, and other emerging segments. To learn more, visit
illumina.com and connect with us on X (Twitter), Facebook,
LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Contacts
Investors:
Salli Schwartz
858-291-6421
IR@illumina.com
Media:
David McAlpine
347-327-1336
PR@illumina.com
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SOURCE Illumina, Inc.