What You Should Know:
- Ultima Genomics, a developer of a revolutionary new ultra-high throughput sequencing architecture, and Quest Diagnostics, the nation’s leading provider of diagnostic information services, today announced a collaboration involving Ultima’s next generation sequencing (NGS) technology in oncology and other clinical areas.
Expanding Horizons in Cost-Effective Whole Genome Sequencing
The collaboration aims to enhance patient access, affordability, and outcomes by expanding the use of cost-efficient whole genome sequencing, particularly in areas like solid-tumor minimal residual disease (MRD) testing. Quest plans to utilize Ultima’s technology, such as the UG 100™ System, to develop lab-developed tests, including its Haystack solid-tumor MRD™ technology.
Ultima’s platform offers the capability to sequence an entire genome for $100 and stands out for its sensitivity in detecting rare cancer-related gene variants, particularly single nucleotide variants (SNVs). Quest, with its expertise in oncology, genomics, and pathology, along with a national scale in tumor biopsy and blood specimen collection, will contribute to the collaboration. The company, known for its comprehensive oncology services, aims to improve diagnostics and treatment monitoring for various health systems and providers in the United States.
“We are delighted to collaborate with the world’s leading diagnostics information services provider to deploy our technology toward lab-developed tests for applications benefiting from insights from whole genome sequencing,” said CEO Gilad Almogy. “Ultima’s technology was designed for applications requiring greater sequencing depth, breadth, or frequency and both MRD testing and whole genome sequencing are premier examples of these. Our unique advantages in SNV detection, combined with greater sequencing depth at lower cost can be transformational for oncology applications and MRD, as well as for cell-free DNA applications and applications with challenging samples. The collaboration with Quest emphasizes our focus on enabling the leading organizations that will help us scale our technology and, most importantly, benefit patients and providers.”