HiFi Data Generated on the
Revio™ System will Support the EU and Estonian
Government-Funded Center for Personalized Medicine and Unlock
Discoveries Across Cardiology, Mental and Reproductive Health, Drug
Response, Cancer Research and Rare Diseases
MENLO
PARK, Calif., March 27,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- PacBio (NASDAQ: PACB), a
leading developer of high-quality, highly accurate sequencing
solutions, today announced that the University of Tartu, host of
Estonia's National Biobank, has
chosen the Revio HiFi sequencing system to sequence 10,000 whole
human genomes and unlock new insights from its populational health
data. The announcement follows funding from the European Commission
and the Estonian government to help Estonia adopt personalized medicine at scale
and adapt public health systems to the biology of its population.
The University will also support the European Union's 1+ Million
Genomes initiative, which seeks to boost innovation in healthcare
across Europe.
10,000 whole human genomes will be sequenced and analyzed by the
Institute of Genomics at the University of Tartu using Revio. The
data are expected to drive a new level of understanding about the
genetics of cardiovascular disease, mental, reproductive and female
health, cancer and rare diseases, and treatment outcomes. The
institute has purchased three Revio systems, allowing them to reach
their target of 10,000 genomes in the next two and a half
years.
"The 10,000 long-read whole genomes will bring a new dimension
of insight into the genetics of the Estonian population and push us
closer to the Biobank's goal of realizing health benefits for
people locally and internationally. We're particularly excited
about the possibilities for researching polygenic risk scores for
cardiovascular disease and cancer, as well as predicting patients'
responses to medications based on their genetic makeup," said
Lili Milani, Head of the Estonian
Biobank and Professor of Pharmacogenomics at the University of
Tartu, Estonia. "The trial
samples we received from PacBio were unmatched in terms of quality
and genome coverage. We considered several other technologies but
were most impressed by the high degree of accuracy, read length and
multiomic insight of Revio. Combined with the greater affordability
of Revio, it became the clear choice to support our goals."
Founded in 2000, the Estonian Biobank holds more than
212,000 samples – 20% of the country's adult population –
reflecting its age, sex, and geographical distribution. To date,
the samples for the Biobank have been genotyped using
microarray-based methods. However, data generated via this method
are lower resolution, had limited scope for detecting complex or
unknown variants, and rely on reference genomes, meaning results
may be biased towards participants from well-represented
demographics.
The 10,000 new whole genomes sequenced using Revio will afford
more diverse data and enable researchers to analyze complex
variations, including repetitive regions and pseudogenes. Revio
also offers researchers access to the epigenome; this second layer
of genomic information is often unexplored, but has noteworthy
implications for oncology since aberrant changes in methylation
status are characteristic of many cells.
"I am delighted that the researchers at the University of Tartu
have selected Revio for their multi-year, 10,000-sample project in
Estonia," said Christian Henry, President and Chief Executive
Officer of PacBio. "The team chose PacBio HiFi technology over
other long- and short-read offerings because of its ability to
sequence complete and accurate genomes at competitive economics and
scale. This project is yet another example of Revio's ability to
deliver customers a differentiated solution in large,
multi-thousand-sample whole genome sequencing projects."
In addition to this 10,000-genome project, the Biobank team is
looking to secure funding to sequence the entire biobank of over
200,000 samples to drive advances in health care globally.
About PacBio
PacBio (NASDAQ: PACB) is a premier life
science technology company that designs, develops and
manufactures advanced sequencing solutions to help scientists and
clinical researchers resolve genetically complex problems. Our
products and technologies stem from two highly differentiated core
technologies focused on accuracy, quality and completeness which
include our HiFi long-read sequencing and our SBB® short-read
sequencing technologies. Our products address solutions across a
broad set of research applications including human germline
sequencing, plant and animal sciences, infectious disease and
microbiology, oncology, and other emerging applications. For more
information, please visit www.pacb.com and follow @PacBio.
PacBio products are provided for Research Use
Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may
contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section
21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the
U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All
statements other than statements of historical fact are
forward-looking statements, including statements relating to the
uses, coverage, advantages, quality or performance of, or benefits
or expected benefits of using, PacBio products or technologies,
including in connection with Revio and its ability to sequence
complete and accurate genomes at competitive economics and scale;
anticipated number of whole human genomes to be sequenced and
related discoveries across cardiology, mental and reproductive
health, drug response, cancer research and rare diseases, impact on
innovation in healthcare across Europe, and enabling researchers to analyze
complex variations; and other future events. You should not place
undue reliance on forward-looking statements because they are
subject to assumptions, risks, and uncertainties and could cause
actual outcomes and results to differ materially from currently
anticipated results, including, challenges inherent in sequencing a
large number of whole human genomes, and the difficulty of
generating discoveries across various areas of research and
impacting innovation in healthcare across Europe; the impact of U.S. export restrictions
on the shipment of PacBio products to certain countries; rapidly
changing technologies and extensive competition in genomic
sequencing; unanticipated increases in costs or expenses;
interruptions or delays in the supply of components or materials
for, or manufacturing of, PacBio products and products under
development; potential product performance and quality issues;
third-party claims alleging infringement of patents and proprietary
rights or seeking to invalidate PacBio's patents or proprietary
rights; and other risks associated with international operations.
Additional factors that could materially affect actual results can
be found in PacBio's most recent filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, including PacBio's most recent reports on
Forms 8-K, 10-K, and 10-Q, and include those listed under the
caption "Risk Factors." These forward-looking statements are based
on current expectations and speak only as of the date hereof;
except as required by law, PacBio disclaims any obligation to
revise or update these forward-looking statements to reflect events
or circumstances in the future, even if new information becomes
available.
Contacts
Investors:
Todd Friedman
ir@pacificbiosciences.com
Media:
Lizelda Lopez
pr@pacificbiosciences.com
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SOURCE Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc.