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DNA sequencing company Illumina and biotech Regeneron have invested in electronic health record data company Truveta to create the largest and most diverse database of genetic information in the world.
Illumina and Regeneron, along with 17 health systems such as Northwell Health and Trinity Health, have invested a combined $320m in Truveta preferred equity. Regeneron pledged $119.5m while Illumina is investing $20m in Truveta’s Series C financing round; the combined financial stake means privately held Truveta has a valuation exceeding $1bn.
The new Truveta Genome Project initiative aims to generate genetic data on tens of millions of consented and de-identified volunteers. The company said the project would ensure comprehensive representation across ancestries, ethnicities, genders, and other social drivers of health.
The Regeneron Genetics Center will sequence the exomes of the first ten million volunteers while Illumina’s chief strategy and corporate development officer Jakob Wedel said the company would also bring its sequencing technology to the endeavour.
The scale of the project will operate by utilising leftover biospecimens from routine lab tests that are linked to anonymous medical records, provided patients consent to the analysis. Truveta said the data will help develop AI-based drug discovery, optimise clinical trials, and improve understanding of diseases.
Truveta’s CEO Terry Myerson said: “Just like volunteering to be an organ donor on your driver’s licence is a simple act of service with a profound impact, the Truveta Genome Project enables each of us to anonymously contribute to dramatically accelerate progress in discovering the science of humanity, improving the health of our families and communities, and lowering the cost of care.”
Aris Baras, head of the Regeneron Genetics Centre, said: “The scale and diversity of the Truveta Genome Project will enable us to explore the complex interplay between genetics and health in unprecedented detail.”
The UK Biobank, which holds genetic and health information from 500,000 participants, is currently the world’s largest genetic database. Patient data is a key component of the UK Government’s health sector transformation, with data integration at the heart of the party’s pledge to fix the National Health Service (NHS).
The All of Us Research Program (AOR) from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) aims to make data available from at least one million research participants. As of August 2023, the NIH has created nearly 250,000 whole genome sequences.
Illumina has had a busy start to 2025. The company announced today a pilot proteomics programme that will use 50,000 samples from UK Biobank to advance biological insights. It is also collaborating with Nvidia to advance AI for multiomic data, enhancing clinical research and drug discovery.