Illumina

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Illumina   (Biotech company)
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Formation	April 1, 1998
Headquarters	San Diego, California, USA
Membership	•  Stephen P. MacMillan •  Jacob Thaysen •  Frances Arnold •  Caroline Dorsa •  Robert S. Epstein •  Scott Gottlieb •  Gary S. Guthart •  Anna Richo •  Philip Schiller •  Sue Siegel •  Scott B. Ullem •  Jay Flatley •  David Cameron •  Charles Dadswell •  Francis DeSouza
US biotech company

Illumina, Inc. is an American biotech company. It provided the digital genomic code to both Moderna and Pfizer for their "Covid jabs" which was given to billions of people.

Right in the beginning of the pandemic we were in Wuhan. The first notification to the WHO was on December 31, 2019. Ten days later the viral genome was published. Moderna took that data, so they never had the live virus on their site, they used the genomic data coming off those machines to launch their vaccine development program. Since then, we've seen sequencing now deployed around the world. 190 countries now have the sequencing data of the virus. That's allowed us to watch how the virus is mutating, how it's spreading. And that informs whether the tools we are using, like diagnostics, therapeutics, or vaccines, are going to hold, and also allows us to make policy decisions around the world.

Own words

Incorporated in April 1998, Illumina develops, manufactures, and markets integrated systems for the analysis of genetic variation and biological function. The company provides a line of products and services that serves the sequencing, genotyping and gene expression, and proteomics markets. Its headquarters are located in San Diego, California.

Illumina's technology had purportedly by 2014 reduced the cost of DNA sequencing a human genome to US$1,000, down from a price of $1 million in 2007. Customers include genomic research centres, pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, clinical research organisations, and biotechnology companies.

In 2016, Illumina launched an "aggressive" five-year plan to “bring genomics out of research labs and into doctors’ offices.” Given state of things since 2020, particularly the global push toward gene-focused vaccines and therapies, that plan, which concludes this year, could not have been any better timed.

Whole genome sequencing

On 13 January 2020, Genomics England and Illumina announced an agreement to deliver up to 300,000 whole genome equivalents over the next five years, with an option to increase to 500,000. Samples will be provided through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service and the network of seven genomic laboratory hubs across England, which were established in 2018. This supports NHS England’s ambition to lead the world in introducing whole genome sequencing (WGS) into routine healthcare. Samples will also be provided by Genomics England and from the Government’s Life Sciences Strategy for research purposes.

The agreement builds on the successful delivery of the 100,000 Genomes Project (100KGP), which established consent from patients with rare genetic diseases and cancer, tissue sample requirements, standardised DNA sequencing, data analysis and reporting. It also supports the ambition described by Health Secretary Matt Hancock to analyse up to 5 million genomes (including whole genome sequencing) by 2024, enabling the UK to maintain its position as a global leader in genomics.

In May 2022, a US jury ordered Illumina to pay more than $333 million to a U.S. unit of Chinese genomics company BGI Group after finding that Illumina's DNA-sequencing systems willfully infringed two patents. BGI and Illumina are both major providers of genome-analysis technology that the say can be used to detect genetic diseases.

Covid participation

In May 2020, a new partnership to sequence human genomes in the fight against COVID-19 was announced: Genomics England, is partnering with the GenOMICC consortium, Illumina and the NHS to launch the research drive, which will reach patients in 170 intensive care units (ICUs) throughout the UK. The project is backed by £28 million from Genomics England, UK Research and Innovation, the Department of Health and Social Care and the National Institute for Health Research. Illumina will sequence all 35,000 genomes and share some of the cost via an in-kind contribution. Whole genome sequencing will be carried out by Illumina at its laboratories in Cambridge, UK, where they successfully delivered the 100,000 Genomes Project together with Genomics England and the NHS.

By 1014, it claimed its "next-generation sequencing (NGS) provides an effective, unbiased way to identify new coronavirus strains and other pathogens without prior knowledge of organisms. Sequencing was used to identify the novel coronavirus causing COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) early in the outbreak.

As prime minister, Cameron set up Genomics England, which is wholly owned by the department of health. A £78m deal between Genomics England and Illumina was later announced.

Cameron discussed "UK genomics sequencing" with Nadhim Zahawi, the minister responisible for Covid jabs, on 1 March 2021. Official disclosures also make it clear that Illumina was being represented at the meeting.<rer>https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1002080/january-march-2021-disclosure-ministerial-meetings.csv</ref>

Long-standing partnership

Paula Dowdy, General Manager and SVP Illumina, EMEA, said:

“We have a long-standing partnership with Genomics England and are proud to support this new genomics initiative from our Cambridge-based lab. The results will establish a unique platform for researchers to understand the human response to coronavirus infection, leading towards new treatments and ways to control infection spread.”

People

Illumina’s former CEO, Francis DeSouza, previously held key posts at Microsoft and Symantec.

Jay Flatley was is the long-time head of Illumina. Though he stepped down from the board of Illumina in 2016, he has continued to serve as the executive chairman of its board of director. As of 2021, he is chairman of the board of directors of Wellcome Leap, at seed fund started by the Wellcome Trust, with $300 million in funding "to battle against the most pressing global health challenges of our time". Other people involved include former U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Director Regina Dugan as its lead. Leap will undertake "bold, unconventional programs and fund them at scale". The new organization will be independent from Wellcome Trust and governed autonomously to "encourage speed, agility, and an appetite for risk-taking."

In addition to his long-standing leadership role at Illumina, Jay Flatley is also a “digital member” of the World Economic Forum as well as the lead independent director of Zymergen, a WEF “tech pioneer” company that is “rethinking biology and reimagining the world.”

Aside from Flatley as an individual, Illumina as a company is a WEF partner and plays a key role in its platform regarding the future of health care. A top Illumina executive also serves on the WEF’s Global Future Council on Biotechnology.

Board As of November 2024.

 

Known members

2 of the 15 of the members already have pages here:

Member	Description
David Cameron	UK deep state operative, former UK PM
Scott Gottlieb	Food and Drug Administration leader, then over to Pfizer.

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References

This page imported content from Wikipedia on 14 May 2020.
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