Qiagen, Oxford Gene Technology Partner for Sequencing Panel Interpretation

Original from: 360dx

Qiagen is partnering with Oxford Gene Technology, a Sysmex subsidiary, to comarket and distribute its Qiagen Clinical Insight (QCI) Interpret software with OGT's SureSeq NGS panels, the firms announced Thursday. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Based in Oxford, UK, OGT develops hybridization-based next-generation sequencing tests and products. The firm also markets its own bioinformatics software, called Interpret.

Through the collaboration, customers of OGT's SureSeq NGS panels will gain access to the Qiagen QCI Interpret bioinformatics package for AI-powered, expert-curated classifications, oncologist-reviewed summaries, and evidence links to streamline the workflow from sequencing to final report in variant interpretation and clinical reporting. The QCI software is offered by the Qiagen Digital Insights (QDI) business unit.

"This partnership is an important demonstration of OGT's commitment to providing the most relevant and impactful oncology insights," Gareth Thomson, executive VP of commercial operations at OGT, said in a statement.

Nitin Sood, Qiagen's senior VP and head of life sciences, said the collaboration will support labs facing "mounting challenges with the complexity and volume of NGS testing" as "QDI is uniquely positioned to support SureSeq workflows with transparent variant classifications, oncologist-reviewed insights, and flexible reporting."

OGT was acquired by Kobe, Japan-based Sysmex in 2017 for an undisclosed amount. The firm offers custom-designed panels as well as 15 catalog SureSeq panels, according to its website, that include tests for solid tumors, rare diseases, fusion genes, and measurable residual disease.

Source: Qiagen, Oxford Gene Technology Partner for Sequencing Panel Interpretation