TriCore Reference Laboratories Named First NGS Center of Excellence by Life Technologies

TriCore Reference Laboratories and Life Technologies Corporation have signed an agreement to establish TriCore as a regional Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) Center of Excellence. The partnership is part of Life's initiative to establish a global alliance comprised of leading centers capable of running the most-advanced, NGS-based oncology panels for clinical research.

TriCore has entered the agreement in collaboration with the Pathology Department of the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, with which it already shares several initiatives. As a Life Technologies NGS Center of Excellence, TriCore will provide Life's most-advanced NGS Oncology Panels to clinical researchers in oncology. The panels are designed to identify genetic mutations in research samples that can serve as potential drug targets suitable for further studies.

"This alliance fits with TriCore's commitment to oncology services and will allow us to provide greater value to our clients," said Michael Crossey, M.D., Ph.D., TriCore's interim CEO and executive medical director. "The results we generate through next-generation sequencing will be used to elucidate new drug targets with the potential to guide therapeutic options more efficiently in the future."

By establishing an alliance of NGS Centers of Excellence, Life Technologies expects to spur a global collaborative effort among its members to further advance screening methods in clinical research samples.

"TriCore has a history of leadership in oncology that is fueled by its forward-thinking approach to advanced technology adoption, such as the use of AmpliSeq panels and Ion Torrent sequencing for cancer research," said Mark Gardner, head of Business Development & Companion Diagnostics at Life Technologies. "We welcome this collaboration in support of its clinical research efforts as precision medicine comes online in the next few years."