Alliance for Genomic Discovery completes 250,000 whole genomes to accelerate drug discovery

Core Insights - Illumina Inc. and Nashville Biosciences have successfully sequenced 250,000 whole genomes for the Alliance for Genomic Discovery, creating one of the largest clinical genomic datasets globally [1][2][11] - The AGD initiative aims to accelerate drug target discovery and therapeutic research, leveraging insights from the dataset [1][4][6] Group 1: Dataset and Achievements - The AGD dataset is a significant resource for biopharma members, providing de-identified DNA samples and integrated clinical phenotype data [4][12] - The dataset's diversity and depth have already led to novel target discoveries in various disease areas, including autoimmune and metabolic diseases [6][5] - The rapid completion of sequencing in just two years highlights the collaborative efforts of AGD and its member organizations [10][9] Group 2: Future Directions - The next phase of the AGD will focus on adding multiomic layers to enhance the dataset's breadth and depth [7][8] - There is strong interest from AGD members in exploring additional omics modalities, such as proteomics, to further understand disease mechanisms [8][6] - Illumina plans to expand its portfolio of multiomic capabilities, aiming to provide a comprehensive range of omics solutions and sequencing applications [8][14] Group 3: Industry Context - The AGD initiative was launched in 2022 and includes major biopharma companies like AbbVie, Amgen, and Merck, which utilize the dataset for identifying disease associations [11][12] - A study published in Nature indicates that drugs with a genetic basis are 2.6 times more likely to succeed, underscoring the importance of genetic evidence in drug discovery [5]