On April 10, 2023 Ultima Genomics, Inc. and Genome Insight, Inc. have signed an agreement to collaborate to bring affordable whole genome sequencing solutions to cancer patients (Press release, Ultima Genomics, APR 10, 2023, https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ultima-genomics-and-genome-insight-collaborate-to-bring-affordable-whole-genome-sequencing-to-cancer-patients-301792800.html [SID1234629924]). As part of the agreement, Genome Insight will join the early access program for Ultima’s high-throughput NGS instrument platform, the UG 100, and develop an optimized version of its whole genome bioinformatics solution for Ultima’s sequencing technology. The combination of Genome Insight’s proprietary bioinformatics with Ultima’s low-cost sequencing will make whole genome sequencing an affordable reality for cancer patients.

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Although cancer is a disease caused by alterations to the genome, conventional NGS approaches typically use targeted panels that examine only a small fraction of this information. Insights into the whole genome can expand the understanding of cancer biology and provide important information for physicians in formulating a treatment strategy for each patient. Genome Insight’s proprietary bioinformatics platform translates a cancer patient’s genome into medically meaningful insights. Optimizing this platform for Ultima’s high-throughput, low-cost sequencing architecture will enable delivery of curated whole genome sequencing reports to patients and physicians at a very low cost – even cheaper than conventional NGS panels.

"We are excited to partner with Ultima to bring affordable whole genome sequencing to cancer patients," said Young Seok Ju, CEO of Genome Insight. "The ability to analyze the entire genome at a low cost is a game-changer in cancer treatment, and we are proud to be at the forefront of this revolution. This collaboration is an important step towards our vision of using whole genome sequencing to improve patient outcomes."

"We founded Ultima Genomics to help overcome the tradeoffs scientists and clinicians are forced to make between the breadth, depth and frequency with which they use genomic information," said Gilad Almogy, CEO of Ultima Genomics. "Genome Insight’s focus on whole genome sequencing is a perfect example of this, and we are excited to collaborate on this development."