Merck Serono and Illumina 'step forward' in precision medicine
This article was originally published in Scrip
Executive Summary
Merck Serono is to collaborate with Illumina on the development of a universal next-generation sequencing-based oncology diagnostic for clinical trials of targeted cancer therapies. The companies aim to develop assays to detect and simultaneously measure multiple genetic variants in a single tumor sample in a clinical trial setting. The agreement includes development of the diagnostic, worldwide regulatory approvals and global commercialization, and is a "step forward in realizing the promise of precision medicine," said Dr Richard Klausner, Illumina's chief medical officer. Merck KGaA has existing partnerships in the area of diagnostics, including those with Life Technologies and Dako.
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