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Inside DNAnexus

Product updates, industry insights, opinions and references. From the team powering the Genomics Revolution.

Natera’s Genetic Testing to Scale with DNAnexus

NateraLogoNEW(2014)CMYKEarlier this year, we announced that Natera, a leader in non-invasive genetic testing, selected the DNAnexus cloud genomics platform to support the company’s portfolio of genetic tests. With the next-generation sequencing (NGS) clinical diagnostic market poised for exponential growth, Natera needed a solution to keep pace with its growing volume of genetic tests and global test delivery issues. At the moment, non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) is marketed toward high-risk pregnancies, however Natera is setting its sights on the $2.2 billion average-risk market, which is ready to open in the near future.

Key requirements to grow test portfolio and expand global reach:

  • High security and regulatory requirements: ISO 27001 compliance, HIPAA, CLIA, and Business Associates Agreement (BAA)
  • Cost-effective scaling for production workloads and Service Level Agreement (SLA)
  • Pipeline versioning to ensure all versions coexist and can run side-by-side
  • Control data locality and comply with national health data laws
  • Control over IT budgets and evolving needs

 

 

As Natera expands its NGS genetic test market share, it needed a global solution to decentralize the genome sequencing across partner laboratories and centralize the data analysis using the company’s patented SNP-based algorithms in the cloud. Currently, Natera has signed partnerships with a dozen laboratory and distribution partners who are utilizing the company’s genetic services, and has an aggressive plan to expand its footprint post-IPO.

Natera began trading on the NASDAQ (NTRA) July 2, 2015, with a $180 million IPO. The company’s lead product is Panorama™, a safe and non-invasive prenatal screening test that uses a blood sample from a pregnant mother, drawn as early as 9 weeks into the pregnancy, to assess the risk of certain chromosomal conditions that may affect a baby’s health. However, with this new influx of cash, Natera will move into the cancer diagnostics space, leveraging Panorama’s underlying technology to identify cell-free tumor DNA.

In addition to NIPT, the liquid biopsy market is set to explode. Named one of Technology Review’s 10 Breakthrough Technologies for 2015 and predicted to top $19 billion for the oncology market, a liquid biopsy can capture and isolate DNA shed by tumors in the blood. Soon something as simple as a routine blood test could be used to diagnose and treat cancer, instead of taking a sample directly from a tumor. Because cancer treatment requires multiple tumor sampling during the course of treatment, this non-invasive procedure makes it easier to take samples and make adjustments to a treatment plan.

DNAnexus is proud to be the supporting infrastructure, enabling Natera to scale their business to grow the global genetic testing market. The DNAnexus platform serves as a compliant command center capable of cost-effectively supporting multiple testing sites and enabling providers such as Natera with the technical platform to market and monetize their tests globally.

About DNAnexus

DNAnexus the leader in biomedical informatics and data management, has created the global network for genomics and other biomedical data, operating in 33 countries including North America, Europe, China, Australia, South America, and Africa. The secure, scalable, and collaborative DNAnexus Platform helps thousands of researchers across a spectrum of industries — biopharmaceutical, bioagricultural, sequencing services, clinical diagnostics, government, and research consortia — accelerate their genomics programs.

The DNAnexus team is made up of experts in computational biology and cloud computing who work with organizations to tackle some of the most exciting opportunities in human health, making it easier—and in many cases feasible—to work with genomic data. With DNAnexus, organizations can stay a step ahead in leveraging genomics to achieve their goals. The future of human health is in genomics. DNAnexus brings it all together.