PacBio's (PACB) Sequel IIe Boosts Radboudumc's Sequencing Ability
Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc. PACB, also popularly known as PacBio, recently announced that Radbound University Medical Center (Radboudumc), located in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, will boost their Single Molecule, Real-Time (SMRT) sequencing capacity by adding two new PacBio Sequel IIe Systems. Radboudumc has been utilizing PacBio long-read technology to detect hidden variants causing rare diseases over the past three years.
Per management at Radboudumc, workflows have been adapted over time in order to use its Sequel systems in rare disease cases. The quality of the test has improved with the aid of each new system. It has also offered Radboudumc efficiency and ultimately cost-effectiveness.
This announcement is likely to provide a boost to PacBio’s robust sequencing technology.
More on the News
Per PacBio’s management, around 80% of rare diseases are genetic globally but above 50% of cases remain unsolved due to the existing technology.
In fact, the accuracy of HiFi sequencing has led to a massive interest in PacBio whole-genome sequencing (WGS) as a crucial new tool to identify large or challenging variants that are likely to be missed by short-read technology.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
This will enable Radboudumc’s SOLVE-RD research program to substantially boost sample throughput on the back of added WGS capacity.
Market Prospects
Per a report by Grand View Research, the global genomics market was valued at $20.1 billion in 2020 and is projected to witness a CAGR of 15.4% from 2021 to 2028. Hence, this announcement is a well-timed one for PacBio.
Notable Developments
This month, the company partnered with Care4Rare Canada Consortium (“Care4Rare”) in order to study some of the most complicated unexplained rare disease cases within Canada.
In December 2021, PacBio announced the success of its new HiFiViral SARS-CoV-2 solution against the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. The solution has effectively sequenced and captured the entire genome of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant’s lineage.
In the same month, the company partnered with the UCLA Institute for Precision Health and David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. The research collaboration is aimed at identifying the causes behind rare diseases.
Price Performance
Shares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company have fallen 51.1% in the past year, compared with the industry’s decline of 2.7%.
Stocks to Consider
Some better-ranked stocks in the broader medical space include AMN Healthcare Services, Inc. AMN, Abiomed, Inc. ABMD and Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings LH.
AMN Healthcare surpassed earnings estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 19.5%. The company currently sports a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
AMN Healthcare’s long-term earnings growth rate is estimated at 16.2%. The company’s earnings yield of 5.5% compares favorably with the industry’s 0.8%.
Abiomed beat earnings estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 5.8%. The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #2.
Abiomed’s long-term earnings growth rate is estimated at 20%. The company’s earnings yield of 1.2% compares favorably with the industry’s (3.6%).
Laboratory Corporation surpassed earnings estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 25.7%. The company currently sports a Zacks Rank #1.
Laboratory Corporation’s long-term earnings growth rate is estimated at 10.6%. The company’s earnings yield of 9.4% compares favorably with the industry’s 3.4%.
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (LH) : Free Stock Analysis Report
ABIOMED, Inc. (ABMD) : Free Stock Analysis Report
AMN Healthcare Services Inc (AMN) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc. (PACB) : Free Stock Analysis Report
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
