When Illumina Buys Roche: The Dawning Of The Era Of Diagnostics Dominance

With current technology and resources, a well-funded in vitro diagnostics company can create and pursue a strategy of information gathering and informatics application to create medical knowledge, enabling it to assume the risk and manage certain segments of patients. But few if any pharma or diagnostics firms appear poised to take advantage.

When Illumina Inc. acquired the regulatory consulting firm Myraqa, a specialist in in vitro diagnostics, in July, the press release announcement characterized the deal as one that would bolster Illumina’s in-house capabilities for clinical readiness and help prepare for its next growth phase in regulated markets. That’s not surprising given the US Food and Drug Administration’s approval a year and a half ago of its MiSeq next-generation sequencer for clinical use. But the deal could also suggest Illumina is beginning to move along the path toward taking on clinical risk – that is, eventually advising physicians and patients, which would mean facing regulators directly.

Such a move – by Illumina, another life sciences tools firm, or an information specialist from the high-tech universe –...

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