Azenta receives regulatory approval for long-read WGS test

Azenta (AZTA) announced the launch of a long-read Whole Genome Sequencing test for clinical applications. Azenta becomes the first commercial provider to obtain regulatory approval to offer this test in the United States. Traditional short-read sequencing methods often struggle with identifying genetic variants in repetitive regions of the genome that underpin many rare diseases, hindering accurate diagnoses and targeted treatments. In contrast, Azenta’s test makes use of PacBio’s Revio sequencer to obtain long and highly accurate HiFi sequencing reads to cover regions that are inaccessible by short reads. Performed within GENEWIZ from Azenta Life Sciences CLIA certified and CAP accredited state-of-the-art clinical genomics laboratory, the test enables precise detection of a range of complex genomic alterations that are features of many rare diseases and undetectable by traditional approaches. This allows for a view of the genome with unprecedented comprehensiveness.