Illumina Announces Strategic Collaboration with Merck Serono to Expand Companion Diagnostics for Oncology

Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ:ILMN) today announced it has formed a collaboration with Merck Serono, the biopharmaceuticals business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, to develop a universal next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based oncology diagnostic. In addition to separate collaborations with AstraZeneca, Janssen Biotech, Inc., and Sanofi, Illumina and Merck Serono will work to create a universal test system for clinical trials of targeted cancer therapies, with the goal of a more comprehensive tool for precision medicine.

Illumina is working with Merck Serono to develop assays that detect and measure multiple variants simultaneously to support clinical trials. The collaboration toward the universal cancer test will include test development, worldwide regulatory approvals, and global commercialization. In parallel, Illumina continues to collaborate with the key thought leaders of the Actionable Genome Consortium to set standards for NGS-based assays in routine clinical oncology practice, as well as to define regulatory frameworks to enable this new testing paradigm.

“Our collaboration with Illumina around next-generation sequencing will enable us to perform genome studies at a pace unheard of a few years ago, and could lead to the development of several diagnostics,” said Susan Herbert, Head of Global Business Development at Merck Serono. “This collaboration will strengthen the position of Merck Serono as a global leader in precision medicine in oncology.”

“This agreement is another step forward in realizing the promise of precision medicine,” said Richard Klausner, MD, Illumina’s Chief Medical Officer. “The US government’s Precision Medicine Initiative, recently announced by President Obama, specifically outlines the need to expand genetically-based clinical trials as a key approach for developing better treatments for cancer. We are very excited to work with Merck Serono on this endeavor.”

For more information, visit www.illumina.com/precisionmedicine.

About Illumina

Illumina is transforming human health as the global leader in sequencing and array-based technologies. The company serves customers in a broad range of markets, enabling the adoption of genomic solutions in research and clinical settings. To learn how Illumina is unlocking the power of the genome, visit www.illumina.com and follow us @illumina.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in any forward-looking statements are detailed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent filings on Forms 10-K and 10-Q, or in information disclosed in public conference calls, the date and time of which are released beforehand. We do not intend to update any forward-looking statements after the date of this release.

Contacts:

Illumina, Inc.
Investors:
Rebecca Chambers
858-255-5243
rchambers@illumina.com
or
Media:
Jennifer Temple
858-882-6822
pr@illumina.com

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