Illumina and Ovation.io launch unique GLP-1 dataset to support development of new therapies
Friday, May 02, 2025
Illumina, Inc. and Ovation.io, Inc. have jointly announced the creation of a large-scale clinical multiomic dataset focused on patients treated with glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist therapies. This resource, built using samples from 25,000 individuals, is expected to be the largest of its kind available for commercial use. It aims to support the pharmaceutical industry in advancing research and development of new treatments.
GLP-1 receptor agonists are widely used, with recent data showing that one in eight adults in the United States have taken these therapies. However, studies suggest that around 40% of people with Type 2 diabetes do not respond effectively to them. The new dataset is designed to help researchers better understand these varied responses, uncover potential new uses for GLP-1 therapies, and identify new biomarkers and drug targets for individuals who do not benefit from current treatments.
The collaboration includes a multiyear agreement to develop an integrated dataset combining phenotypic, genomic, and proteomic data. The dataset covers both responsive and nonresponsive patient groups, offering a more detailed view of the biological mechanisms involved in GLP-1 treatment.
As part of the initiative, Illumina’s sequencing technologies will be used to perform whole-genome sequencing on 25,000 samples and proteomic profiling on 5,000 samples. This includes data from samples collected before and after GLP-1 therapy, which may provide insights into how these treatments affect protein expression over time. The proteomic analysis, using Illumina’s Protein Prep (IPP) assay, will measure up to 9,500 human proteins per sample.
This work supports the discovery of protein quantitative trait loci (pQTL), which link genetic variations to protein activity and associated diseases. Illumina’s analysis platforms, including DRAGEN and Connected Multiomics, will be used to process and visualise the data, which will also be stored for future large-scale research within Illumina Connected Analytics.
Ovation is contributing biological samples from its biobank, which includes over 1.7 million de-identified and consented samples linked to extensive health data. The two companies began working together in 2024 to tackle challenges in drug development by providing access to genomic data. The first phase of their collaboration included pilot datasets for liver disease, chronic kidney disease, and GLP-1 therapy. They now intend to scale the GLP-1 dataset further and develop additional datasets in the future.
Source: prnewswire.com
