NEW YORK – Agilent Technologies said on Tuesday that it has signed a research collaboration agreement with the National Cancer Center Singapore (NCCS) to help create genomic profiles of cancers that are prevalent in Asia.
Under the two-year agreement, Agilent will supply researchers with the firm's Magnis NGS Prep System, an automated sequencing library preparation platform, for analysis of tissue samples collected through routine clinical care. Agilent's platform will also be used at Singapore's Cancer Discovery Hub to aid development of a simplified assay of genes and complex genetic aberrations.
Financial and other terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
The research is intended to help characterize tumor genomes and provide data that can be used in patient care, clinical trials, and diagnostics development.
Jason Chan, director of the NCCS Cancer Discovery Hub, said in a statement that the collaboration will accelerate his organization's research toward development of next-generation diagnostic tools that enhance patient care. Chow Woai Sheng, Agilent's Singapore general manager and VP of instrument manufacturing, added that the agreement "further boosts our long-term relationship in this important market."
"We are ready to continue meeting Singapore's molecular testing needs in the genetic aspects of cancer and other diseases," he said.
The deal builds on an existing agreement between Agilent and NCCS related to molecular profiling of cancers as well as Agilent's previous investments in Singapore, including a 2019 partnership with the National University of Singapore and National University Hospital to launch a research and development hub intended to aid development of clinical diagnostics.