WuXi NextCODE to Interpret Cancer Samples for UK 100,000 Genomes Project

By Bio-IT World Staff

November 12, 2015 | This morning, Genomics England, the state-owned company created to sequence 100,000 whole genomes of UK patients for health research, announced that WuXi NextCODE will be its first Clinical Interpretation Partner in the field of cancer. WuXi NextCODE, whose suite of genomic interpretation software is designed to search for and visualize genetic variants of clinical significance, is also working with Genomics England to analyze cases of rare hereditary disease.

Genomics England had previously chosen WuXi NextCODE as one of four finalists in its “bake off,” interpreting a limited number of patient samples in preparation for the 100,000 Genomes Project. Today’s contract extends WuXi NextCODE’s work in cancer and rare disease to the full project.

Last summer, WuXi NextCODE (at the time NextCODE Health) released a platform called Tumor Mutation Analyzer, specifically for analysis of tumor-normal pairs in cancer cases. The platform is intended to find “driver mutations” in tumors, and gene pathways affected by those mutations, some of which may suggest new treatment options.

While the genomic analysis in the 100,000 Genomes Project is aimed mainly at research, Genomics England does hope to offer clinical value to some patients enrolled in the project, by diagnosing rare disease cases or helping to select targeted therapies in cancer.