NEW YORK – Illumina said yesterday that it has partnered with Chinese molecular diagnostics firm AnchorDx to develop clinical oncology tests for the Chinese market.
Under the terms of the strategic collaboration, AnchorDx, based in Guangzhou in southern China, will use Illumina's MiSeqDx sequencing system to develop in vitro diagnostic cancer test kits and data analysis software. AnchorDx plans to develop genomic cancer tests that range from screening to diagnostic testing to treatment monitoring.
One focus of the collaboration will be to improve early cancer detection, with the goal of developing the first cancer screening IVD product in China on the MiSeqDx system, which is approved by China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA).
"This collaboration highlights Illumina's recognition of AnchorDx's capabilities in research and development, clinical development, and marketing," said AnchorDx CEO Jian Bing Fan, a former Illumina employee, in a statement.
In 2017, AnchorDx raised $28 million in a Series B funding round to develop next-generation sequencing-based oncology products.