Dive Insight:
While California sequencing company Illumina is larger, Oxford’s kept itself relevant and recently attracted new cash to fund an expansion.
Amgen’s seen the sequencing company in action through its subsidiary deCODE Genetics, which the big biotech acquired in 2012.
The Reykjavik human genetics company was founded in 1996 to study genetic risk factors for disease using the well-defined Icelandic population, giving Amgen access to research that could back up its drug R&D. deCODE uses Oxford Nanopore’s sequencing capability to conduct genome research, including the identification and validation of potential new targets.
“We have used Oxford Nanopore technology to sequence several hundred human genomes and continue to see the promise of this emerging technology,” Stefánsson said in a statement.
DeCode could help Amgen understand the genetics behind human health and disease to fuel drug discovery and development. Investing in Oxford Nanopore further underscores that hope.
Other biotechs have set up similar endeavors. Most notable is Regeneron’s Genetics Center, which recently uncovered a genetic variant associated with a reduced risk of chronic liver disease.
