October 26, 2017
Illumina and Pillar Biosciences, Inc. today announced an agreement to develop next-generation sequencing (NGS) based in vitro diagnostic (IVD) tests. Under the terms of the agreement, Pillar Biosciences will lead the development of a series of diagnostic tests that will be run on the Illumina MiSeq™Dx instrument.
Pillar Biosciences has developed Stem Loop Inhibition Mediated Amplification (SLIMamp®), an innovative technology to maximize the efficiency and performance of targeted NGS panels for the clinical user.
Gang Song, Ph.D., CEO of Pillar Biosciences, stated: “The combination of two state-of the-art NGS technologies, SLIMamp and MiSeqDx, will enable affordable precision medicine and make NGS accessible to clinical laboratories.”
The SLIMamp technology is optimized for highly multiplexed reactions from a single tube with as little as 2.5 ng of DNA, supporting sequencing from FFPE and biofluids. Specifically designed to enable automation, it offers a unique technology that can leverage the power of the MiSeqDx to provide superior uniformity and specificity. SLIMamp based NGS panels provide highly sensitive variant detection in regions of interest including GC-rich regions and low quality samples. Pillar intends to submit multiple NGS assays to the FDA starting in 2018.
