WuXi NextCode will collaborate with the Children's Hospital of Fudan University, based in Shanghai, to offer whole-genome and exome sequencing to diagnose pediatric rare diseases, the company said today.

WuXi NextCode provides sequencing, analysis, and interpretation within a CLIA-certified and CAP-accredited laboratory. It also offers a service called NextCode Exchange that enables customers to share genomic and phenotypic data.

"Using the emerging global standard for genomic data in medicine, we can move beyond static gene panels to employ the full power of the genome to address rare diseases, genetic and genetics-related disorders, and eventually cancer and other conditions as well," Guoying Huang, president of CHFU, which serves 2.3 million patients nationwide every year, said in a statement.

WuXi NextCode was formed earlier this year when WuXi Pharma Tech bought NextCode and merged it with its genome center. WuXi NextCode has headquarters in Shanghai, with operations in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Reykjavik, Iceland.