Illumina, Inc., a leading player in DNA sequencing and array technology, and MyOme, an innovative company in whole genome analysis and AI-powered risk modeling for personalized medicine, announced a new strategic investment to promote proactive healthcare solutions and precision medicine in this press release.
The strategic alliance will support MyOme’s strategic plan, especially in connection with their upcoming MyOme Proactive Health (MPH) Trial, which is a large-scale prospective clinical study targeting the evaluation of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) in combination with MyOme’s AI-integrated risk models (IRMs) to improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare expenditures.
With healthcare spending in excess of $5 trillion a year in the US alone, health economic models have indicated that with increased integration of WGS in medicine and powerful IRMs, well over $200 billion in cost savings can be achieved each year because of early disease identification and treatment, which in many cases can be achieved less expensively.
Transforming Preventive Medicine via Genomics and AI
Illumina’s advanced sequencing technology will be combined with MyOme’s proprietary AI risk models in order to create a basis for a radical change in the way diseases are identified and treated. The initiative aims to promote the integration of clinical genomics within preventive medicine, rare diseases diagnostics, and population health.
“This is a major step forward in using genomics in preventive medicine,” explained Jakob Wedel, Illumina’s chief strategy and corporate development officer. “By bringing Illumina’s next-generation sequencing capabilities together with MyOme’s AI-driven risk models, we can help further the progress of science and unlock important new clinical evidence to support a paradigm shift in our understanding of disease identification and treatment.”
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Expanded Access to Precision Diagnostics
In addition to the MPH Trial, this new partnership will help facilitate an expansion of commercially available proactive health and rare diseases tests offered in MyOme’s product line. With Illumina’s population health expertise and MyOme’s IRMs coming together, patients can really benefit from additional risk information specific to their ancestries for leading causes of morbidity and mortality.
Illumina’s strong technology road map will further support innovation in rare diseases in the field of testing offered by MyOme.
“This research and development initiative drives basic healthcare science,” commented Matt Rabinowitz, PhD, Executive Chairman of MyOme.
“MyOme is deeply engaged in whole genome sequencing and AI-driven analytics in order to unlock their limitless potential in improving healthcare over a lifetime. This will include pharmacogenetics, assessment of over 150 genes with available incidental findings, and AI-driven risk models incorporating polygenic risk scores, RVs, and other analytes for major cancers, cardiometabolic disorders, kidney, liver, cognitive, and other diseases. With Illumina‘s whole genome sequencing capabilities, our intent is to show how next-generation genomics with AI-driven risk models can provide substantially more information about human biology, along with meaningful cost-effective benefit for the USA.”
Trustworthy Investing and Strategic Support
The latest funding in MyOme is affirmed by the continued support of top partners such as Natera, a global expert in genetic testing and diagnostics, in addition to investments by Sequoia Capital and The Duquesne Family Office, among other investors.