AstraZeneca to collaborate with Illumina on gene sequencing panel for diagnostic tests

Anglo-Swedish drug major AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN) is to collaborate with gene sequencing company Illumina to develop its next-generation sequencing platform for companion diagnostic tests, applicable to AstraZeneca’s oncology portfolio.

It first intends to apply Illumina’s technology to a companion diagnostic test in studies for one of its investigational oncology compounds, which could speed up the clinical trial process.

The technology allows the rapid sequencing of multiple genes faster and cheaper than traditional methods of sequencing DNA. It will be used to screen a panel of several gene sequences, where it scans for all possible genetic variants, rather than specified mutations from a single tumor sample. This will be used to predict how patients will respond to certain treatments. The process is useful in enabling doctors to understand causes of disease at a molecular level.