NEW YORK – Indian biotechnology company Avesthagen said on Monday that it has entered into a four-year strategic alliance with Wipro, an Indian information technology and consulting company, to develop and commercialize next-generation sequencing panels for conditions including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, autoimmune diseases, and rare diseases.

As part of the partnership, Avesthagen and Wipro will profile circulating cell-free DNA and RNA in lung cancer. Under that project, Wipro’s laboratory “will perform initial processing of the samples, generate data on the latest next-generation sequencing platforms, compile genomic sequences, and analyze detailed molecular information using computational AI, [and machine learning-]based tools,” the companies said.

The collaboration will also help Avesthagen develop its CalibRx gene panels for cancer. A 624-gene panel called CalibRxO that targets cancers and neurological conditions is slated to be commercially available in India in Q3 of this year and in other parts of South and Southeast Asia in Q4.

“We are excited to join forces with Avesthagen,” Srikumar Rao, general manager and delivery leader of Wipro Engineering, said in a statement. “This partnership will leverage our Tarang Lifesciences labs and R&D expertise, with the goal of identifying new disease-specific biomarkers, improving genomic diversity, [achieve] better healthcare outcomes, and [develop] smart precision therapeutics.” READ MORE