Illumina: Newest Member of the Personalized Genetics Market June 11, 2009

After Navigenics, 23andMe, DecodeMe, Knome or the recently described Pathway Genomics, Illumine joins the direct-to-consumer genetic testing market.

Illumina, Inc. today unveiled a service program to provide high-quality personal genome sequencing for consumers. This is the first service to offer complete coverage of the human genome sequence for under $50,000. The offering includes sequencing of an individual’s DNA to 30 times depth, providing information on SNP variation and other structural characteristics of the genome such as insertions, deletions and rearrangements.

“Rapidly decreasing costs have made sequencing a pervasive technology that can begin to be accessed at the consumer level,” said Jay Flatley, CEO and president of Illumina. “We are entering a new era in genomic health, where information from an individual’s genome will begin to inform lifestyle decisions and ultimately assist with health management. We believe that in the long-run personal genome sequencing will become a routine practice and the information generated will enable physicians to make better healthcare decisions for the consumer. By providing this service now, Illumina can help catalyze the development of the infrastructure and physician education that will be necessary as genomic information becomes medically more meaningful.”

Illumina intends to create a social community for the education and exchange of information for those who have had their genomes sequenced. As more information becomes available, participants will be in a position to mine their personal genome sequence data to understand their identity in ways which have never been possible.