Agilent and North West Genomic Collaboration

Agilent Technology has announced that its clinical informatics platform has been adopted by the North West Genomic Laboratory Hub (NW GLH) based in Manchester, UK, and Liverpool, UK, which is part of the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, UK. The NW GLH and its partners are responsible for delivering genomic testing across the whole of the North West.

“Next-generation sequencing produces huge amounts of data in applications across cancer and human genetics, yet the complexity related to interpreting genomic variants continues to be a challenge”, said Kevin Meldrum, vice president and general manager of genomics at Agilent.

“It is important for us to implement a variant interpretation software system that is both compatible with the latest ACMG classification guidelines and supports the interpretation of rare genomic variants in the context of the patient’s clinical symptoms. The ability to use a single system to analyze both constitutional variations in the context of rare diseases and somatic variants detected in our cancer genomics services is highly desirable”, said Ronnie Wright, Clinical Scientist at the NW GLH, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.

“Moreover, given that each new observation of a genomic variant adds to the knowledge of its association with disease, it is essential that the system allows us to see the latest cumulative assessment of a variant and the relevant information associated with its interpretation to help us deliver the most accurate results”, Wright added.

For more information, please visit: www.agilent.com