Illumina launches pilot proteomics program with UK Biobank and biopharma collaborators to analyze 50,000 samples

Rhea-AI Summary

Illumina (NASDAQ: ILMN) has announced a pilot proteomics program to analyze 50,000 UK Biobank samples in collaboration with multiple partners including deCODE Genetics, Standard BioTools, Tecan, GSK, Johnson & Johnson, and Novartis. The program will utilize Illumina's upcoming Illumina Protein Prep™ solution, which can detect 9,000 unique human proteins.

The first 30,000 samples, funded through coinvestment from Illumina, deCODE Genetics, and Standard BioTools, will be made available to the scientific research community in the second half of 2025. The remaining 20,000 samples will initially be accessible exclusively to industry consortium members before wider release. The project aims to generate high-quality proteomics data to advance biological insights and facilitate biomarker discovery for conditions like cancer and cardiovascular disease.

The Illumina Protein Prep solution, scheduled for launch in first half 2025, is compatible with NovaSeq X, NovaSeq X Plus, and NovaSeq 6000 Systems.

Positive

• Launch of new proteomics solution capable of detecting 9,000 unique human proteins
• Strategic collaboration with major pharmaceutical companies and research institutions
• Product compatibility with multiple NovaSeq systems enabling multiomics on a single platform

Negative

• None.

Insights

Biotech Research Analyst

This collaboration represents a major strategic initiative in the proteomics field. The analysis of 50,000 UK Biobank samples using Illumina's new Protein Prep solution will create an unprecedented proteomics dataset, detecting up to 9,000 unique human proteins. The partnership with pharmaceutical giants GSK, J&J and Novartis significantly enhances the commercial potential and validates the technology's market value.

The integration with UK Biobank's existing data infrastructure creates a powerful multi-omics platform that could accelerate biomarker discovery and drug development. The project's structure, with 30,000 samples being immediately available to researchers and 20,000 samples under temporary exclusive access, balances commercial interests with scientific advancement. The technology's compatibility with NovaSeq platforms positions Illumina to capture a significant share of the growing proteomics market, estimated to reach $50 billion by 2027.

Market Research Analyst

The strategic significance of this announcement lies in its potential to strengthen Illumina's market position in the proteomics sector. By collaborating with major pharmaceutical companies and leveraging UK Biobank's prestigious platform, Illumina is positioning its Protein Prep solution as a standard in high-throughput proteomics research.

The timing of the product launch in H1 2025, combined with this pilot program, suggests a well-orchestrated market entry strategy. The involvement of automation partner Tecan indicates scalability potential, while the collaboration with Standard BioTools brings additional technical validation. This positions Illumina to potentially capture a significant share of the proteomics market, representing a new revenue stream beyond their core DNA sequencing business.

Healthcare Data Scientist

The technical implications of this project are substantial. The ability to analyze 9,000 unique proteins using NGS-based technology represents a significant advancement in proteomics research. The integration with DRAGEN Protein Quantification pipeline ensures robust data analysis capabilities, while the compatibility with multiple NovaSeq platforms provides operational flexibility.

The project's design, linking proteomic data with existing genomic and phenotypic information from UK Biobank, creates a powerful resource for protein quantitative trait loci (pQTL) studies. This could accelerate biomarker discovery and drug target identification, particularly for complex diseases like cancer and cardiovascular conditions. The immediate availability of data from 30,000 samples to the research community will likely catalyze rapid scientific advances.

Study will generate a key reference data set with Illumina Protein Prep solution

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN), a global leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, today announced a pilot proteomics program to analyze 50,000 UK Biobank samples in collaboration with deCODE Genetics, Standard BioTools, Tecan, GSK, Johnson & Johnson, and Novartis. The pilot program is based on Illumina's upcoming proteomics assay, Illumina Protein Prep™, powered by SOMAmer® technology, a next-generation sequencing (NGS) based solution that will help scale access to proteomic insights.

Proteomics enables the observation of direct cellular function to improve understanding of the role of proteins in health and disease, and facilitates biomarker discovery for conditions such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. Researchers use protein quantitative trait loci (pQTLs), which are emerging as a vital proteogenomic tool for drug discovery, linking genetic variation with protein expression data and disease or other phenotypes. With the advent of high-throughput proteomics methods such as Illumina Protein Prep, the discovery of new pQTLs is now more accessible.

"UK Biobank data has set the standard as a reference dataset for the omics community, and we're excited to collaborate across the health care industry in this pilot study as we prepare to launch Illumina Protein Prep," said Steve Barnard, PhD, chief technology officer of Illumina. "We believe the pilot program will generate a new collection of high-quality, NGS-based proteomics data for the research community and pharma partners to advance biological insights."

UK Biobank will provide 50,000 samples from the same study participants who are included in the UK Biobank Pharma Proteomics Project, a separate research collaboration between the UK Biobank and 14 biopharmaceutical companies. deCODE Genetics will process the samples using the Illumina Protein Prep solution and NovaSeq™ X Plus system, and run analysis using the DRAGEN Protein Quantification pipeline. The first 30,000 samples are funded through coinvestment from Illumina, deCODE Genetics, and Standard BioTools, Inc., with automation partner support from Tecan. The data generated from these first 30,000 samples will be made available by UK Biobank immediately to the scientific research community upon completion and when the resulting data has undergone quality control, expected in the second half 2025.

For the data generated from an additional 20,000 samples, in alignment with UK Biobank's standard practice, members of the industry consortium will have a period of exclusive access. Industry participants include deCODE Genetics and pharma collaborators GSK, Johnson & Johnson, and Novartis. Following that period, the data will be made available by UK Biobank to the wider scientific research community. Illumina anticipates that additional companies will join the consortium.

Professor Sir Rory Collins, Principal Investigator and chief executive of UK Biobank said: "This addition of increasingly rich proteomics data will help researchers paint an even more dynamic picture of how an individual's genetics, environment and lifestyle come together to impact the development of different diseases."

"This project complements the work of the UK Biobank Pharma Proteomics Project, by providing additional proteomic assay data for 50,000 of the UK Biobank volunteers' blood samples. I am excited to see how the global scientific community will use these different sources of data to make leaps forward in the development of new ways to prevent and treat a wide range of diseases."

"Proteomics is entering a transformative era, with the human health impact constrained to date by the limits of legacy technologies," said Michael Egholm, PhD, chief executive officer of Standard BioTools Inc. "Today marks a critical milestone, as we seamlessly integrate DNA-based SOMAmers' unparalleled multiplexing capacity with the leading NGS platform, and unlock the power of the UK Biobank to accelerate human health." 

The Illumina Protein Prep assay detects 9000 unique human proteins powered by 11,000 SOMAmer (Slow Off-rate Modified Aptamers) reagents, enabling sample-to-analysis proteomics discovery studies. The solution has been in early access limited release with customers, detecting 6000 human proteins, and is compatible with the NovaSeq X, NovaSeq X Plus, and NovaSeq 6000 Systems, enabling multiomics on a single platform. The solution will launch in the first half of 2025.

Use of forward-looking statements

This release may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Among the important factors to which our business is subject that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in any forward-looking statements are: (i) challenges inherent in developing and launching new products and services, including modifying and scaling manufacturing operations, and reliance on third-party suppliers for critical components; (ii) our ability to manufacture robust instrumentation and consumables; and (iii) the acceptance by customers of our newly launched products, which may or may not meet our and their expectations, together with other factors 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 undertake no obligation, and do not intend, to update these forward-looking statements, to review or confirm analysts' expectations, or to provide interim reports or updates on the progress of the current quarter.

About Illumina

Illumina is improving human health by unlocking the power of the genome. Our focus on innovation has established us as a global leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, serving customers in the research, clinical, and applied markets. Our products are used for applications in the life sciences, oncology, reproductive health, agriculture, and other emerging segments. To learn more, visit illumina.com and connect with us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

Contacts

Investors:
Salli Schwartz
858-291-6421
IR@illumina.com

Media:
Christine Douglass
PR@illumina.com 

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SOURCE Illumina, Inc.

FAQ

When will Illumina (ILMN) launch its Protein Prep solution?

Illumina plans to launch its Protein Prep solution in the first half of 2025.

How many proteins can Illumina's (ILMN) new Protein Prep solution detect?

The Illumina Protein Prep assay can detect 9,000 unique human proteins using 11,000 SOMAmer reagents.

When will the UK Biobank proteomics data from Illumina's (ILMN) pilot program be available to researchers?

The first 30,000 samples' data will be available in the second half of 2025, while the remaining 20,000 samples' data will be released after an exclusive access period for consortium members.

Which companies are collaborating with Illumina (ILMN) on the UK Biobank proteomics program?

The collaborators include deCODE Genetics, Standard BioTools, Tecan, GSK, Johnson & Johnson, and Novartis.

Which Illumina (ILMN) systems are compatible with the new Protein Prep solution?

The solution is compatible with NovaSeq X, NovaSeq X Plus, and NovaSeq 6000 Systems.