With Helix, Illumina Goes Consumer – Again
Executive Summary
After failing to tap into the consumer market six years ago with a health-information-oriented Personal Genomics Service, Illumina is taking a new tack in trying to leverage the value of its industry-leading gene sequencing platform – in this case setting its sights well beyond medicine and even wellness. Its new $100 million venture, Helix, also backed by two large investors, intends to become a massive “app store,” with partners creating content derived from consumers’ genomic information.
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Illumina Goes Consumer
Microarray and sequencing specialist Illumina has entered the consumer genomics game with a DTC personal genome sequencing service. It's distancing itself from regulators by partnering with others to handle any secondary data interpretation and dialog with customers, but cautious or not, by reaching out directly to the public, the move does turn on its head the traditional notion of first developing a technology tool for research, then moving on to more regimented clinical applications.