Original from: QIAGEN

·    Latest QCI Interpret release enhances performance of high-throughput NGS labs, improving turn-around time, diagnostic yield and quality of results

·    New features include bulk variant assessment, flagging of co-occurring variants and improved muti-user functionality for faster and more efficient workflows

·    Genomics are moving towards analyzing large, comprehensive gene panels, creating a need for enhanced scalability

QIAGEN (NYSE: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) today announced the release of a new version of its clinical decision support software, QIAGEN Clinical Insight Interpret (QCI Interpret), that brings significant performance and scalability enhancements tailored for high-throughput, next-generation sequencing (NGS) labs moving to larger test panels and higher test volumes. The latest version of QCI Interpret introduces improvements that accelerate critical lab performance criteria for turn-around-time, diagnostic yield and quality results.

The latest release builds upon the advanced artificial intelligence (AI)-capabilities of QCI Interpret, including AI-derived literature searches and AI-trained phenotype-driven ranking, to introduce unprecedented workflow scalability in and seamless test menu expansion. New capabilities include bulk variant assessment, flagging of co-occurring variants, enhanced test tracking, additional multi-user functionality, enabling faster turnaround times, improved process and test management, and greater user coordination and flexibility. Existing customers can access these new features in the release of QCI Interpret available from June 2, 2024. 

“NGS is revolutionizing genomics and we’re seeing rapid adoption and advancement within the industry,” said Jonathan Sheldon, Senior Vice President of QIAGEN Digital Insights. “Single gene tests and small gene panels are being replaced with large, comprehensive gene panels and even whole exome and genome sequencing, creating an immense amount of data to interpret. The latest release of QCI Interpret will enable labs to scale up interpretation, identify and classify the most relevant variants more efficiently, and find supporting evidence for clinical decision faster.”

Most NGS labs are facing increasing demands to improve productivity, efficiency and scalability to handle growing test volumes while maintaining high-quality results. To address these challenges, QCI Interpret provides a unified system that can support the launch of additional panels without impacting turnaround times. The platform provides comprehensive content with high quality for quick review, seamless case and workflow management, increased reporting flexibility, easy team coordination, and significantly reduces manual steps that save lab personnel considerable time.

The latest QCI Interpret release helps labs perform variant analysis, interpretation and reporting faster, more reliably, and more consistently. New features include: 

·    Bulk Variant Assessment: A new Bulk Change Tool that boosts variant assessment speed and efficiency by enabling simultaneous assessment of multiple variants. Variant assessment with this feature is 6x faster compared to manual variant assessment. 

·    Flagging of Co-occurring Variants: A new feature that enables users to flag co-occurring variants with therapeutic significance early in the workflow to ensure the lab and ordering physician are informed of actionable and relevant variants. 

·    New Tools for User Group Coordination and Communication: Enhancements that allow labs to tailor test organization strategy, providing a more personalized and efficient workflow. 

QCI Interpret is the most widely used clinical decision support software globally, with over 850,000 clinical samples processed per year and growing. To date, the software has been trusted to analyze and interpret over 4 million NGS patient test cases for oncology and hereditary diseases worldwide, with clinical labs using it to increase the efficiency and accuracy of variant interpretation and reporting. Its consistency, accuracy, and superior content make it the go-to choice for labs and organizations of all sizes, including decentralized labs, healthcare systems, and national precision medicine programs. 

For over two decades, QCI Interpret has combined the unmatched accuracy and consistency of QIAGEN’s proprietary expert (MD/PhD) curation with the superior efficiency of machine curation (AI-powered curation) to enable high-confidence variant interpretation and reporting. Over 200 scientific experts work alongside machines to efficiently curate, annotate, analyze, and certify complex clinical evidence, ensuring customers can trust the data to inform critical decisions.

QIAGEN recently announced the European IVDR certification of QCI Interpret as a Class C Medical Device. It is the first NGS interpretation platform for both hereditary and oncology applications to be approved for diagnostic use.

Source: QIAGEN’s software QCI Interpret accelerates clinical reporting turnaround time for high throughput NGS testing labs