250,000 whole genomes sequenced for AGD initiative to advance drug discovery

Nashville Biosciences LLC (NashBio), a leading clinical and genomic data company and wholly owned subsidiary of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and global DNA sequencing giant Illumina Inc. today announced that 250,000 whole genomes have been sequenced for the Alliance for Genomic Discovery (AGD) initiative. Insights from the AGD database are being leveraged to accelerate drug target discovery, therapeutic research and clinical development.

AGD is delivering on its promise of unlocking new discoveries, and we're eager to build on this success with the addition of multiomic measurements to drive advances in therapeutic development. The rapid achievement of this major milestone demonstrates the value of our strategic collaborations across the ecosystem to advance unprecedented progress in biologic and therapeutic discovery." 

Todd Christian, Senior Vice President of Services, Arrays, and Genomic Access at Illumina

An unparalleled R&D resource 

The resulting AGD dataset is being made available to the alliance's eight biopharma members using Illumina Connected Analytics as a shared research tool and data platform. De-identified DNA samples were provided by NashBio from VUMC's BioVU® biobank, and sequenced by deCODE genetics, a subsidiary of Amgen, using Illumina's complete, end-to-end sequencing workflow including the DRAGEN analysis pipeline, and integrated with de-identified longitudinal clinical phenotype data derived from VUMC's electronic health record data.

"The AGD dataset is unique for its diversity and depth and has already proven its value by empowering us to make important discoveries we would not have made without it," said Kári Stefánsson, CEO of deCODE genetics.

A study published in Nature in 2024 indicates that drugs in development with a genetic basis are 2.6 times more likely to succeed than those without. This supports the significant impact of genetic evidence in the field of drug discovery.

The data generated through AGD will provide a dynamic research platform for years to come and has already yielded initial novel target discoveries and validations by biopharma company members across autoimmune, liver fibrotic and metabolic diseases. The diversity of data types, demographics, ancestries and diseases represented in the dataset makes it a valuable resource for life sciences exploration. 

The next phase of the Alliance for Genomic Discovery will double down on multiomics 

In the next phase of AGD, its members plan to further expand the breadth, depth and diversity of the dataset by adding multiomic layers.

"We have received extensive AGD member and broader customer interest," said Leeland Ekstrom, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of NashBio. "Based on this extensive market interest, we're exploring proteomics and other omics modalities to further elucidate the underlying mechanisms of disease and enable discovery of promising targets for pharmacological intervention. The whole genomes of 'AGD 1.0' are only the start."

As Illumina expands its portfolio of multiomic capabilities, the Alliance for Genomic Discovery anticipates that it will use these technologies to further enrich the dataset and drive deeper biological insights. Illumina recently unveiled a road map of innovations that will establish the industry's largest portfolio of omics solutions and sequencing applications, spanning genomics, spatial transcriptomics, single-cell analysis, CRISPR technologies, epigenetics and data analytics software.

AGD began sequencing to develop its clinical genomic database in January 2023, making it one of the fastest large-scale genomics projects to date. Originally, sequencing was projected to be completed later in 2025. Similar programs have required three to five years to complete 100,000 whole genomes. The speed of this effort reflects the collaborative impact of AGD and its participating life sciences organizations.