Illumina’s executive chairman talks about precision medicine at CORE Diagnostics meet

New Delhi: CORE Diagnostics, a healthcare startup and the go-to institution for high-end clinical diagnostics organized a healthcare meet on “Precision medicine: Progress and Promise” at New Delhi. Precision medicine (PM) is an advanced, data-driven approach that helps select the best treatment option, customized for each patient.

The event was inaugurated by keynote speaker Mr Jay Flatley who serves as the Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors, Illumina; a global leader in genomic sequencing and array-based technologies for application in the life sciences, oncology, reproductive health and other emerging segments.

Mr Flatley commented, “Precision medicine harnesses patient-specific data to create therapeutic options exclusively tailored to individual patients.” Among other diseases, various forms of cancer, when managed with this approach, improve the chance of survival with fewer adverse side effects, reduced exposure to harmful radiations, and increase the overall effectiveness of care. His keynote focused on the evolution of genomics over the past two decades, where the cost of sequencing the whole genome of a person went from over several billion dollars, to less than $1000, with a hundred-dollar target well within the near term horizon. A large-scale population study with an Indian cohort is the much needed next step in understanding disease patterns that are specific to people of Indian origin – such as propensity to diabetes, metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease, several types of cancer.

Flatley described several such large-scale genomics studies across the globe – in the UK, US, China, and underscored the importance of such studies in India.

Ms Zoya Brar, Founder & MD, CORE Diagnostics, added, “India has made excellent progress in the past five years in creating awareness about molecular diagnostics and precision medicine. Our aim is to make genomic sequencing accessible to a much broader population base. We are excited about Illumina’s interest in India.”

Nearly 75 attendees representing pharma executives, top healthcare leaders, senior physicians participated in the event. The Q&A session with Flatley focused on central issues in the science of genomics, its practical applications in making better therapeutic decisions, as well as affordability.