Horizon Discovery Group plc (LSE: HZD) ("Horizon"), the world leader in the application of gene editing technologies, has announced that QIAGEN N.V. (NASDAQ: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) will be offering an extensive package of quality control data, generated through the application of Horizon’s Reference Standards, with its GeneReader NGS System.

• Deal demonstrates the impact Horizon's Reference Standards are having in supporting the rapidly growing Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) market
• Future joint collaborations are expected as work continues to unlock the full clinical and research potential of both technologies

As part of the project, QIAGEN thoroughly validated its platform using Horizon’s Molecular Reference Standards.  The very high levels of consistency seen provided QIAGEN with the confidence to use Horizon’s Standards to generate their data set.

By incorporating this data set into the GeneReader NGS System workflows, QIAGEN is able to reinforce the proven accuracy of its NGS platform, facilitating system setup, quality assurance and training for laboratories. 

Further, QIAGEN’s GeneRead QIAact Actionable Insights Tumor Panel is the first in a family of multiplex panels for the GeneReader NGS System targeting the most prevalent types of cancer research, including breast, ovarian, colorectal, lung and melanoma.  The accuracy, consistency and reliability of this Panel was validated through extensive testing compared with the control data derived from Horizon’s Reference Standards, proving its performance.

Dr Paul Morrill, President, Products Business, Horizon Discovery Group, commented: “The incorporation of Horizon’s widely-used and well-established Reference Standards as a data set into the GeneReader NGS workflow reinforces the critical role that they play in the adoption of NGS workflows by clinical research laboratories.” He continued: “As the GeneReader and its associated panels are adopted, we anticipate that, in addition to their use as the basis of this data set, our Reference Standards will be used to support ongoing quality control in many labs, and we look forward to continuing to collaborate with QIAGEN as work continues to unlock the full potential of both technologies.”

“We created the GeneReader NGS System to provide the world’s first truly complete solution for next-generation sequencing,” said Jonathan Arnold, QIAGEN’s Oncology Franchise Business Leader. “The excellent quality and consistency of Horizon’s Reference Standards has allowed for the generation of a powerful data set. Their integration into the GeneReader NGS System makes quality assurance easier for users – from system set-up and training laboratory staff to supporting the ongoing quality control of NGS workflows.” 

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