Some Illuminating Thoughts Re: Illumina
The future for the genomic sequencing company is government. Palantir can help them see clearly.
When I’m asked what I think of the recent news I make it very simple: Bring Back Flatley.
Just watch this video where Flatley lays out the vision of genomics.
Today brought news that Francis deSouza, the embattled compromised CEO of Illumina, had announced his resignation.
That follows John Thompson’s departure as chairman. We’ve worked on exposing both men and argued strenuously for why they had to go. For those keeping score and while it is gauche to note such things, yes, I did call it.
Three days after Illumina brought suit challenging the constitutionality of the FTC deSouza has resigned. Anti-monopolist writer Matt Stoller notes that '“[o]ne of the FTC Commissioners who voted to drop the case against the PGA Tour in 1994 was Christine Varney, who later ran Obama's Antitrust Division and today represents the medical monopolist Illumina's attempt to deem the FTC's structure unconstitutional.”
Isn’t it interesting how the same people keep showing up over and over again?
I think the problems with Illumina actually began with Prime Minister David Cameron if The New European is to be believed.
“The story of Genomics England began in 2011, when David Cameron, as prime minister, summoned the life sciences champion Prof Sir John Bell to No 10 to give a talk on genetics and its value to the NHS and public health. With Prof Bell reckoning it would set the taxpayer back by no more than £50m, the Genomics England project was born and a company of that name was formed in 2013 with Prof Bell as a non-executive director. The plan was for the company to be owned by the Department of Health because it was simply too groundbreaking a project for the NHS to handle.
A number of private companies tendered to undertake the genetic sequencing, and Illumina and Complete Genomics were judged the most competitive. They both offered similar deals, but it was Illumina that was awarded the lucrative contract.
In 2017, after resigning as PM, Cameron joined Illumina as a consultant and chair of its international advisory board on an undisclosed salary. When taking up his appointment with Illumina, Cameron informed the advisory committee on business appointments that to his knowledge he had no direct meetings with Illumina during his period in office.”
This conflict of interest necessarily left a bad taste in people’s mouth not least of which because the project didn't exactly work.
Were I calling the shots at Illumina I’d broker a deal with Palantir immediately, especially as it bids for the £480m deal with the National Health Service.
I went into precisely how I’d do this with a piece I did on cancer and genetics.
With due respect to Oxford Nanopore it can’t really compete with Illumina. That is not until it, too, is cleaned up.
The work of a nation or of a people never really ends now does it?