GrandOmics Biosciences Expands Investment in PacBi

MENLO PARK, Calif. and BEIJING, Jan. 04, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc. (Nasdaq: PACB ), today announced that GrandOmics Biosciences Co., Ltd of Beijing, through its subsidiary NextOmics in Wuhan, has agreed to purchase five additional Sequel™ instruments to support China’s precision medicine initiative, with a specific focus on ultimately providing the genetic diagnosis of inherited diseases.

GrandOmics was one of the early commercial sequencing service providers in China to purchase a Sequel System, and previously provided services for de novo genome assembly and full-length transcriptome analysis based on their bioinformatics expertise using the PacBio ^® RS II system. Both instruments are based on PacBio’s Single Molecule, Real-Time (SMRT ^® ) Sequencing technology.

“GrandOmics is one of a growing number of customers who have placed multi-instrument orders for the Sequel System,” said Dr. Michael W. Hunkapiller, Chief Executive Officer of Pacific Biosciences. “As one of the early users of the Sequel System, they have experienced the performance gains achieved through software and chemistry upgrades, and we appreciate the confidence they have shown in the platform by purchasing multiple additional systems. We believe this is a great endorsement of how well-suited SMRT technology and the Sequel System are for a wide range of applications from de novo genome assembly to clinical research.”

GrandOmics, together with its subsidiary NextOmics, have experience with a number of clinical research applications using SMRT Sequencing technology. For example, they participated in the HuaXia project to construct the first published, near-complete Asian genome, and developed several approaches, ranging from full-length HLA typing and trinucleotide repeat expansion quantification, to the detection of complex structural variants in inherited diseases.

“We were one of the first Chinese sequencing service providers to focus on PacBio SMRT Sequencing technology, and we have helped our customers complete hundreds of genome and transcriptome sequencing projects on animal, plant, microbial and human genomes since 2012,” said Mr. Depeng Wang, Chief Executive Officer of GrandOmics. “We plan to deploy our six Sequel Systems in Wuhan and Beijing, and establish a genomics service center based in the US next year to provide services to customers worldwide.”

About Pacific Biosciences

Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc. (NASDAQ: PACB ) offers sequencing systems to help scientists resolve genetically complex problems. Based on its novel Single Molecule, Real-Time (SMRT ^® ) technology, Pacific Biosciences’ products enable: de novo genome assembly to finish genomes in order to more fully identify, annotate and decipher genomic structures; full-length transcript analysis to improve annotations in reference genomes, characterize alternatively spliced isoforms in important gene families, and find novel genes; targeted sequencing to more comprehensively characterize genetic variations; and real-time kinetic information for epigenome characterization. Pacific Biosciences’ technology provides high accuracy, ultra-long reads, uniform coverage, and is the only DNA sequencing technology that provides the ability to simultaneously detect epigenetic changes. PacBio ^® sequencing systems, including consumables and software, provide a simple, fast, end-to-end workflow for SMRT Sequencing. More information is available at  www.pacb.com .

About GrandOmics

GrandOmics Biosciences Co., Ltd is a Beijing-based biotechnology company specializing in using cutting-edge sequencing platforms to perform genome research on non-human species and to implement precision medicine on human genetic diseases. As one of the first providers of third-generation sequencing services in China based on PacBio SMRT Sequencing, GrandOmics has worked with hundreds of customers worldwide, and provided genomic solutions to address the complexity of genomes that cannot be handled by traditional short-read sequencing platforms. Currently, GrandOmics, together with its subsidiary NextOmics, have recruited nearly 100 employees in Beijing and Wuhan, deployed multiple PacBio Sequel sequencers, along with BioNano Irys and 10x Genomics Chromium platforms, and are building two clinical diagnostic laboratories. GrandOmics is rapidly becoming a world leader in sequencing services and precision medicine using PacBio long-read sequencing technology. For more information, please visit the official website: www.grandomics.com .

Forward-Looking Statements

All statements in this press release that are not historical are forward-looking statements, including, among other things, statements relating to product orders, future uses, quality or performance of, or benefits of using, products or technologies, the expected benefits of the company’s agreement with GrandOmics’ subsidiary NextOmics, the suitability of the company’s products for the clinical research and sequencing market or other markets and other future events. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, changes in circumstances and other factors that are, in some cases, beyond Pacific Biosciences’ control and could cause actual results to differ materially from the information expressed or implied by forward-looking statements made in this press release. Factors that could materially affect actual results can be found in Pacific Biosciences’ most recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Pacific Biosciences’ most recent reports on Forms 8-K, 10-K and 10-Q, and include those listed under the caption “Risk Factors.”

Pacific Biosciences undertakes no obligation to revise or update information in this press release to reflect events or circumstances in the future, even if new information becomes available. 

Contacts Media: Nicole Litchfield 415.793.6468 nicole@bioscribe.com Investors: Trevin Rard 650.521.8450 ir@pacificbiosciences.com