Illumina Inc Stock Price, News & Analysis

Illumina (NASDAQ: ILMN) announced that Charles "Chuck" Dadswell will step down as General Counsel and Secretary on October 3, after 11 years of service. Dadswell will remain as an advisor to CEO Jacob Thaysen and the Board of Directors through March 31, 2025. Scott Davies has been named acting General Counsel and Secretary while the company conducts a search for Dadswell's permanent successor.

Dadswell joined Illumina in 2013 and recently oversaw the company's successful challenge in the European Court of Justice regarding the European Commission's jurisdiction over Illumina's acquisition of GRAIL. CEO Jacob Thaysen praised Dadswell's contributions to Illumina's industry leadership. Scott Davies, who joined Illumina in 2009, most recently served as Vice President, Legal – Chief Corporate Counsel and Assistant Secretary.

Illumina's Singapore team participated in the annual Relay for Life Charity Run for the Singapore Cancer Society (SCS), raising US $4940 to support cancer programs. In 2023, over 70% of Illumina employees in Singapore participated in giving and volunteering activities, contributing $122,000 to various charities. The team focused on key causes, including SCS and the Children's Cancer Foundation (CCF).

Illumina's support for SCS included donations, volunteer hours, and funding for programs like empowerHER and Return to Role. Employees also participated in the Hair for Hope campaign for CCF, raising over $60,000. In total, Illumina and its employees donated more than $350,000 to various causes in Singapore and contributed over 4400 volunteer hours in 2023.

The Washington, DC Public Health Laboratory's Next-Generation Sequencing Core is developing an RSV surveillance system to identify circulating strains and their impact on vulnerable populations. Led by Dr. Eric Vaughn, the team aims to understand the molecular aspects of RSV and other pathogens affecting DC's residents, commuters, and tourists.

The core is using the Illumina Microbial Amplicon Prep (IMAP) kit to simplify RSV sequencing. Their preliminary findings suggest possible distinctions between demographics affected by RSV-A and RSV-B strains. The project will expand during the upcoming respiratory illness season, analyzing more samples to create a real-time picture of RSV's impact on different population groups in the district.

This surveillance system will help the DC Department of Health in prevention and outreach services, potentially guiding targeted interventions based on the specific RSV strains affecting different demographics.

The University of Notre Dame is collaborating with NASA and Illumina to monitor forest health using cutting-edge technology. The Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) sensor, mounted on the International Space Station, uses lidar to create 3D maps of forests. GEDI's data is combined with genetic sequencing from the University of Notre Dame to understand tree health at an unprecedented level. This collaboration, part of NASA's Applied Earth Observations Innovation Partnership, aims to link genetic data with remote sensing to address large-scale environmental challenges. The project utilizes GEDI's lidar, ECOSTRESS's infrared sensors, and DESIS's color patterns to detect early signs of stress and disease in trees. This innovative approach could transform ecological research and forest management.

Karina Katalina Moreno, a quality control stability scientist at Illumina, has found her American dream after a journey from Monterrey, Mexico. With a biotech engineering degree and a master's from the University of Edinburgh, Moreno joined Illumina in 2023. She's making an impact as the treasurer of iLatinx, an employee resource group, and through her work in reagent stability.

Moreno is actively involved in Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations at Illumina, promoting cultural exchange and diversity. She's also passionate about mentoring young women through initiatives like Girls Who Lead days. An avid athlete, Moreno participates in various sports and finds Illumina to be a safe and inclusive space where she can express her cultural identity freely.

Illumina is supporting a project that combines genomics with citizen science to monitor ocean health in the South-West Pacific region. The Citizens of The Sea project, led by Xavier Pochon from the Cawthron Institute, equips seafaring vessels with environmental DNA (eDNA) sample collection kits. These samples are then analyzed by Sequench laboratory in New Zealand, creating powerful datasets to understand and improve ocean health.

This initiative demonstrates Illumina's commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable future. The project leverages Illumina's expertise in genomic sequencing to contribute to marine conservation efforts, showcasing the company's involvement in innovative environmental monitoring techniques.

Illumina (NASDAQ: ILMN) has won a significant legal victory as the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that the European Commission lacked jurisdiction over Illumina's acquisition of GRAIL. This decision removes the basis for a 432 million euro fine previously imposed on Illumina. The ruling comes after Illumina's spin-off of GRAIL in June 2024, which resulted in GRAIL becoming an independent public company. Illumina now holds a 14.5% minority stake in GRAIL and will continue to support it with sequencing technology and services. Additionally, in the United States, the FTC Commissioners dismissed the case against Illumina and GRAIL on August 15, 2024, following the successful spin-off, concluding the US proceedings.

GRAIL, Inc. (Nasdaq: GRAL) has published findings on the performance of its Galleri® multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test for prostate cancer in JCO Precision Oncology. The data, from the CCGA and PATHFINDER studies, show that Galleri preferentially detects aggressive, clinically significant prostate cancers over slow-growing cases.

Key findings include:

• 93% of detected prostate cancers were intermediate or high grade
• 67% were stage III or IV
• Cancer signal of origin prediction accuracy was >90%
• No low-grade cancers were detected
• Only 4.2% of stage I and II cancers were detected

These results suggest that Galleri could be valuable in population-based screening programs without contributing to overdiagnosis of indolent prostate cancers.

Illumina (NASDAQ: ILMN) has received FDA approval for its TruSight Oncology (TSO) Comprehensive test, a 500+ gene biomarker test for solid tumors. This in vitro diagnostic (IVD) kit is the first FDA-approved, distributable comprehensive genomic profiling test with pan-cancer companion diagnostic claims. It includes two companion diagnostic (CDx) indications:

1. Identifying patients with NTRK gene fusions for treatment with Bayer's VITRAKVI (larotrectinib)
2. Detecting RET fusion-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients for treatment with Lilly's RETEVMO (selpercatinib)

The test aims to improve access to localized precision oncology and increase the chances of finding actionable biomarkers. TSO Comprehensive will begin shipping to customers this year and is reimbursable under CMS national coverage determination.